Jaguar Land Rover’s longtime design chief Gerry McGovern has left the company in a management shakeup initiated by new CEO PB Balaji, Autocar India reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
McGovern was fired and “escorted out of the office,” the outlet said without disclosing further details.
The Tata Motors-backed automaker declined to comment on the matter.
McGovern led the design team at Jaguar and Land Rover for more than two decades and left months before the company launches the highly anticipated EV model under its new era.
The brand has cancelled its current lineup and plans to return with three new EVs, beginning next year with a high-performance sedan priced around $130,000, according to Autocar and Autocar India.
The outlet said McGovern was asked to leave the company on Monday, with his position terminated immediately. No details have been disclosed about what triggered the decision.
The decision comes days after the new CEO joined.
Balaji — previously CFO at the parent company Tata Motors — replaced last week Adrian Mardell who retired following more than three decades at the company.
Jaguar Rebrand Sparks Political and Industry Criticism
Jaguar’s ongoing rebrand has drawn heavy scrutiny, particularly after a marketing campaign a year ago featured brightly dressed models and the slogan “Copy Nothing” but no vehicles.
US President Donald Trump attacked the video, calling the campaign “stupid” and “WOKE” on Truth Social.
“Jaguar did a stupid, and seriously WOKE, advertisement, THAT IS A DISASTER,” Trump wrote last August, comparing the situation to the controversy surrounding Bud Light.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk also questioned the campaign at the time, posting: “Do you sell cars?”
The backlash prompted Jaguar to begin reviewing its global advertising account earlier this year, even as JLR initially defended the rebrand as part of a broader “renaissance.”
Tariff Pressures
JLR paused exports of its UK-built vehicles to the US for a month in April after Trump pressed for a 25% tariff on imported cars.
Shipments resumed in May, though the company said the US remains a significant risk factor for models like the Range Rover and Defender.
The first of Jaguar’s new electric models is slated to debut in 2026, marking the official start of the brand’s transition to a fully electric lineup.
Earlier this year, the company said it would cut up to 500 management jobs in Britain, citing pressure from potential US tariffs and falling Jaguar sales.
