2011 Jaguar XJ Sedan
Yesterday’s announcement that Ed Whitacre would stay on as CEO of General Motors may have dominated the industry news but it certainly wasn’t the only CEO switch that took place this week.
Jaguar Land Rover has also announced the departure of its CEO, David Smith, and the appointment of company director Ravi Kant as interim CEO until a permanent successor can be found.
Smith originally stepped into the position following the sudden death of the Jaguar Land Rover’s former CEO, Geoff Polites, back in 2008. During his stint he saw the integration of the company with its new parent, Tata Motors, as well as the implementation of a strategy to take the brands, Jaguar in particular, more upmarket.
So far there has been no official word on a long-term replacement for Smith but rumors claiming former GM Europe boss Carl-Peter Forster will join Jaguar Land Rover have already started to emerge.
[Jaguar Land Rover]
