General Motors reshuffles Executive Design leadership team

General Motors will be changing its Executive Design leadership team around in the coming months to accelerate global product development. The announcement came on the heels of news regarding the giant automaker being surpassed by rival Toyota in global sales. In an effort to bring itself out of the red, the company is reshuffling its design team in several areas.

From June 1st, Michael Simcoe, currently Executive Director of Body on Frame Integral, will become Executive Director of Exterior Design for North America. The new title will make him responsible for all exterior design in North America working under Bryan Nesbitt, a familiar face returning to GM's North American design studios this June.

Mark Adams will replace Nesbitt as Vice President of Design for GM Europe, moving up from his current role as Director of Exterior Design for GM Europe. Adams will be based in Ruesselsheim, Germany and report to Ed Welburn, Vice President of GM Global Design. Kenneth Parkinson, currently Executive Director of Body on Frame Architectures, will be moving to Shanghai, China to become Asia Pacific Vice President of Design, replacing David Lyon.

On July 1st Executive Director of Design for Asia Pacific, David Lyon – who was responsible for overseeing the global mini car concepts unveiled at the New York Auto Show in April – will be appointed Executive Director of Interior Design for North America, replacing David Rand. Lyon will be reporting to Bryan Nesbitt, who is taking the chair as GM's Vice President of Design for North America.

Finally, on August 1st, David Rand (currently Executive Director of Interior Design for North America) will become GM's new Executive Director of Global Advanced Design. Rand will be taking over the role from Anne Asensio who has resigned from the company after more than seven years.

General Motors Design has recognized that significant organizational changes needed to be implemented to enhance and accelerate global product development and create appealing designs worldwide. "These changes to our design organization will allow us to better support GM's global business strategies," Ed Welburn said in a statement. "The result is a more streamlined organization that fully leverages the broad and deep resources throughout our 11 global design studios."

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