Who's Where: New Design Directors Appointed at PSA

PSA Peugeot Citroen has announced the appointment of Gilles Vidal to Design Director for Peugeot and Thierry Metroz to fill the Design Director position at Citroën. Both Vidal and Metroz will report to PSA Group Design Director Jean-Pierre Ploué when they start their new roles on January 4, 2010.

The Design Director positions at both Peugeot and Citroen have effectively been left vacant since Jean-Pierre Ploue was promoted to lead the Group's design efforts in October 2008. Vidal will fill the shoes of Jerome Gallix, who left the company last year to pursue a personal project. 

Most recently head of advanced design for the Group's Citroen brand, Gilles Vidal joined PSA after graduating from the Art Center College of Design of Vevey in Switzerland in 1996. Beginning his career as an exterior designer, Vidal worked on the C3, C3 Pluriel, C2 and Picasso while under the direction of then Design Director Donato Coco. In 1997 Vidal also began developing interiors for the brand and was appointed project manager for the the Osmose show car two years later. But it is his most recent work as Citroen's Head of Concept Cars that has gotten him the most recognition: he is credited with having led the teams that developed the C-Cactus and C-Metisse concept cars amongst others. 

Since early 2009, Vidal has been in charge of concept cars for Peugeot's styling department. With the Peugeot BB1, which combines the features of a two-wheel and four-wheel vehicle, he broke new ground in the search for electric urban mobility solutions. He also helped to define Peugeot's new identity, which will be unveiled in early January.

Thierry Metroz was most recently Vice President of Exterior Design at Renault before leaving the rival automaker in July. A graduate of Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Appliqués et des Métiers d'Art (ENSAAMA) in Paris, France, Metroz has spent his entire career in automobile design. His professional experience includes setting up design and styling units abroad and managing international projects in Asia and Brazil. Backed by a strong capacity for innovation, he has left his mark on various vehicles that have reshaped the automobile landscape in recent years.

With the appointment of two experienced professionals widely recognized for creativity in automobile design, Mr. Ploué has demonstrated a commitment to strengthening the new organization established in October 2008 and to pursuing the goal of clearly differentiating the two brands. Maintaining a lead in automobile design is one of the priorities announced by Philippe Varin, Chairman of PSA Peugeot Citroën.

Related articles:
Who's Where: Jean-Pierre Ploué promoted at PSA
Design Review: Citroën C-Metisse concept
Design Review: Citroën C-Cactus concept
Who's Where: Donato Coco Appointed Director of Design for Lotus Group

By Eric Gallina