General Motors announced on Tuesday that Bryan Nesbitt will take over from Michael Simcoe as head of GM Global Design on July 1.
It will make him only the eighth GM design boss in nearly a century, a list that includes legends like Harley Earl and Bill Mitchell.
Mike Simcoe
Nesbitt is currently head of Cadillac Global Design, where he oversaw the development of standout concepts like the recent Opulent Velocity and Sollei convertible.
He first joined GM in 2001, originally as head of design for Chevrolet. Prior to that, he worked for Chrysler where he designed the Chrysler Pronto Cruizer concept, which would go on to spawn the Chrysler PT Cruiser. Nesbitt would also be influential in the design of the similarly retro HHR at Chevrolet in the early 2000s.
2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser
Nesbitt has big shoes to fill. Simcoe, who is retiring after a 42-year career at GM that started at defunct Australian brand Holden, has been the head of GM Global Design since 2016, when he replaced Ed Welburn. During that time, he was ultimately responsible for numerous projects, including the design of Cadillac’s current EV lineup, as well as the GMC Hummer EV and C8 Chevrolet Corvette.
GM said Simcoe was influential in reshaping the design teams to deliver products that were technology-driven while also having a focus on detail and execution.
