Gerry McGovern to head Land Rover Advanced Design

Gerry McGovern has been named Director, Advanced Design for Land Rover, and will be working alongside Geoff Upex, who continues as Design Director for Land Rover.

"Gerry is uniquely suited to this role," said J Mays, Ford Motor Company's group vice president of design. "He's already shown the world that he fully understands Land Rover's DNA, having led the team that designed Freelander. Since then, Gerry's work at Lincoln-Mercury and Ingeni has demonstrated his ability to clearly define brand and product strategies by understanding diverse international markets."

In this new role, McGovern will report to both Mays and Hans Gustavsson, director of product development, Jaguar and Land Rover.

The additional emphasis on advanced design for Land Rover mirrors the strategy embraced by Jaguar and is considered key to further strengthening the premium SUV lineup. Land Rover's managing director Matthew Taylor said, "Gerry's experience in the US will prove invaluable as we set our sights on improving our appeal in this key market."

McGovern, who will be based in Gaydon with Upex, has been director of Ingeni, Ford Motor Company's London-based design and creativity center. Before the move to Ingeni in August 2003, McGovern was Lincoln-Mercury design director – his first design job upon joining Ford Motor Company in 1999.

No stranger to the Land Rover brand, McGovern was studio director of Land Rover for the Rover Group in Warwickshire, England, where he was responsible for key Land Rover products. Whilst at Rover, he also played a significant role in creating other production vehicles within the Rover Group portfolio – most notably the MGF.

Early in his career, McGovern also worked with Chrysler Corporation, both in the UK and America. He also worked at Peugeot as a senior product designer for car and truck model ranges.

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