Adrian Mardell has been named permanent CEO of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), having led the company on an interim basis since the departure of his predecessor, Thierry Bolloré, late last year.
Mardell was previously chief financial officer at JLR and had been on the company's board of directors for three years prior to his appointment to the top job. He has signed a three-year contract for the new position, according to JLR.
Since being named as Bolloré's replacement in November, Mardell has made several high-profile appearances and announcements on behalf of the company, most notably during a wide-reaching strategy update in April, at which he gave key details of the company's operational and industrial future.
It was at this event that Mardell confirmed JLR would not build its own EV battery factory, instead becoming an "anchor customer" of a facility to be built by parent company Tata. Yesterday, Tata made the long-anticipated announcement that this facility will be constructed in the UK - a landmark decision, not just for JLR but for the wider UK car industry too.
Mardell also shed light on the electric future of Jaguar, confirming its second pure-electric car will be a high-powered, four-seat GT arriving in 2025, and he announced that Land Rover's Halewood plant will build electric successors to the Range Rover and Discovery Sport from 2025.
More recently, he has made headlines for acknowledging that the theft of Range Rover models in urban areas has "become a problem" and outlined plans for the company to improve security of older cars.
On being named permanent CEO, Mardell said: “It has been my immense privilege to lead JLR over the last eight months and I am proud to be appointed chief executive officer of this fantastic business, which has shaped me over the last 32 years. We have the right vision and people to deliver our Reimagine strategy and I am honoured to lead JLR on the journey ahead.”
At the same time, Richard Molyneux has been named permanent chief financial officer - a role in which he has served on an interim basis since December.
Tata Motors chairman N Chandrasekaran said: “"I offer my warmest congratulations to Adrian Mardell and Richard Molyneux on their respective appointments to chief executive officer and chief financial officer of JLR.
“Adrian and Richard are an exceptional team with strong automotive and leadership experience. I look forward to working with them further, delivering JLR’s transformation to modern luxury, which is well under way.”
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