Gerry McGovern Leaves JLR to Start Consultancy After Shaping Global Design Strategy

Gerry McGovern steps down as Chief Creative Officer of Jaguar Land Rover at the end of March 2026. He plans to launch his own creative consultancy. McGovern served JLR for over 20 years and influenced its global design direction. McGovern joined Land Rover in 2004 as director of advanced design. He led the team that created the LRX concept. This concept became the Range Rover Evoque in 2011.

The Range Rover Evoque entered production as the smallest Range Rover model. It featured lower CO2 emissions at 130g/km. The model sold worldwide and boosted Land Rover sales. McGovern oversaw updates to other models. These included the 2010 Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, and Discovery 4. He also guided the Range Rover Velar launch in 2017.

In 2020, JLR released the new Defender under McGovern's direction. The Defender won the 2021 World Car Design of the Year award. It combined heritage elements with modern features for global markets.

McGovern became Chief Creative Officer in 2020 and joined the JLR board. He contributed to the 2021 Reimagine strategy. This strategy focused on modern luxury, electrification, and high-margin segments.

Under Reimagine, JLR aimed for carbon net zero by 2039. The plan included electric models for Range Rover, Discovery, and Defender by 2030. Jaguar moved to an all-electric line-up. McGovern shaped the design language for Range Rover, Defender, and Discovery. This language used reductive and architectural forms. It positioned the brands in luxury markets across the world. He spoke at length about his work in an exclusive interview with Acko Drive

He also worked on Jaguar's Type 00 concept. This supported Jaguar's electric transition. McGovern's role extended to visual communications for both brands. JLR CEO PB Balaji thanked McGovern for his contributions. McGovern thanked the Tata family and JLR staff.