Jaguar Land Rover’s design chief, who spearheaded a highly debated rebrand criticized by some as “woke,” has reportedly been dismissed from the company. Gerry McGovern, formerly the chief creative officer at JLR, was informed of his immediate termination just days after a new chief executive took the helm.
According to reports from the Telegraph, McGovern was escorted from the office following his dismissal on Monday. JLR, owned by Indian conglomerate Tata Motors, has declined to comment on the matter.
The leadership change coincided with PB Balaji, previously Tata Motors’ finance chief, replacing Adrian Mardell as Jaguar Land Rover’s new CEO.
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Despite the backlash, McGovern had openly defended the rebrand during an interview with US broadcaster ABC earlier this year, stating, “We’re not looking for everybody to say, ‘That’s nice.’ I think great design does polarize, whether that’s in fashion or architecture or whatever else. So having the confidence to say this is what we think the 21st century Jaguar should look like and then sticking to that is very important.”
The rebrand, driven by agency Accenture Song, marked a dramatic shift for the Birmingham-based automaker. It introduced a sleek, minimalist ‘J’ logo, retiring the iconic ‘growler’ emblem that had long symbolized Jaguar’s brand identity.
Further amplifying the change, the new marketing campaign moved away from showcasing cars entirely. Instead, it featured vibrant abstract visuals, diverse models, and slogans like ‘Live Vivid’ and ‘Delete Ordinary.’ This bold new direction supports Jaguar’s strategic goal of becoming an all-electric luxury brand by 2026.
McGovern described the redesign as “the result of brave, unconstrained creative thinking, and unwavering determination,” adding, “It is our first physical manifestation and the foundation stone for a new family of Jaguars that will look unlike anything you’ve ever seen. A vision which strives for the highest level of artistic endeavour.”