Ex-Holden designer Simcoe promoted once more, now GM senior VP

Former Holden chief designer, Australian Mike Simcoe, has continued his march into the uppermost ranges of administration at Normal Motors (GM).

Beginning January 1, Mr Simcoe will transfer into the function of senior vice-president, World Design, having beforehand served as vice-president with out the ‘senior’ tag hooked up.

The brand new title for GM’s head designer “signifies continued emphasis on design as GM accelerates transformation to an all-electric future”, the corporate advised shareholders.

Mr Simcoe has led GM World Design since 2016, after his work throughout Australia and the Asia Pacific drew discover from the very high. Previous to this he was accountable for design in GM’s worldwide markets.

He joined GM in 1983 as a designer at Holden in Australia, turned director of GM Asia Pacific Design in 1995 and government director in 2003, after which moved on to turn out to be government director of GM North American Exterior Design the next yr.

Below Simcoe’s management, GM’s design studios have created halo merchandise such because the Cadillac Celestiq and Lyriq, GMC Hummer and Sierra EVs, and Chevrolet Equinox, Blazer and Silverado EVs. Different milestones embrace the mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette Stingray and 2021 Cadillac Escalade.

He’s additionally “guided the infusion” of the newest digital and immersive design growth applied sciences into the workforce’s every day work “and elevated collaboration throughout GM features globally”, the corporate stated.

Detroit-based Simcoe will proceed to report back to GM President Mark Reuss – an American who served as Holden managing director throughout an Australian posting between February 2008 and August 2009.

“Below Michael’s management the GM design workforce has delivered profitable design after profitable design, demonstrating the power to attach with clients in all automobile segments, for each inner combustion engine autos and electrical autos,” stated Mr Reuss.

“GM Design has additionally performed a pivotal function within the growth of our enterprise, creating ideas that spotlight our path to an all-electric, autonomous future and options for brand new enterprise fashions like BrightDrop [electric commercial vehicles] and Cruise [autonomous rideshare vehicles].”

“Elevating design within the group demonstrates how necessary the combination of design and know-how is as we proceed to remodel the corporate,” Mr Reuss added

Mr Simcoe holds an Affiliate Diploma of Artwork Industrial Design from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Know-how and was inducted into the Design Industry Australia Hall of Fame in 2018. He’s a member of the School for Inventive Research (Detroit) Board of Trustees.