Jaguar Land Rover says CEO Adrian Mardell is to step down after more than three decades at the company.
The JLR chief said he wanted to retire after three years as CEO – a spokesperson for the automaker said on Thursday.
His successor will be announced in due course.
Mr Mardell joined the company in 1990 and became chief executive in November 2022 – after a period as chief financial officer from June 2019.
He spearheaded the major brand revamp at Jaguar.
Type 00 in London Blue and Miami Pink, revealed at Miami Art Week.
London Blue honours the iconic Opalescent Silver Blue of the 1960s E-type.
Miami Pink pays tribute to the city’s pastel colours and Art Deco architecture.
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Finer points in the comment section. pic.twitter.com/nc91ljpeOW— Jaguar (@Jaguar) December 3, 2024
During his tenure, the British luxury carmaker – a wholly owned subsidiary of India's Tata Motors – posted its highest profit in a decade, removed £5bn ($6.6bn) in debt and posted its strongest operational performance to date.
In April, JLR paused exports of its British-made vehicles to the US for a month after President Donald Trump imposed a 25% tariff on all imported cars.
It resumed exports in May.
The US accounts for nearly a quarter of JLR's global sales and stands as a key market for its high-margin Range Rover and Defender models.
Mardell was among the guests at the opening of Donald Trump's new golf course in Scotland on Monday – part of the US president's five-day visit to the UK.
Mr Mardell's departure comes after JLR faced backlash when it unveiled a series of dramatic changes ahead of becoming a fully electric brand.
This included a new bespoke logo, written as JaGUar, a new prancing "leaper" cat design and marketing slogans such as "delete ordinary", "live vivid" and "copy nothing".
Images of the new electric car, called the Type 00, were shared at an event in Miami in the US, with the model described as a "concept with bold forms and exuberant proportions to inspire future Jaguars", according to the brand.
Images of the car sparked a mixed response online. One person said: "00 is how many you'll sell. Beyond ugly."
Another posted: "Give me the bravery and confidence of the Jaguar rebranding team."
A third said: "You've lost your soul."
However, JLR defended the brand revamp.
Jaguar managing director Rawdon Glover said he was disappointed by the "vile hatred and intolerance" in responses to the advert.
Speaking at what he called the "reimagining" in Miami, chief creative officer Professor Gerry McGovern said the new brand was "influenced by the desire to recapture the essence of Jaguar's original creative conviction".
"Some may love it now, some may love it later and some may never love it. That's what fearless creativity does," he said, citing David Bowie, Vivienne Westwood and architect Richard Rogers as some of his creative heroes.
"They were British trailblazers who challenged convention and had no desire to copy the norm.
"Controversy has always surrounded British creativity when it's been at its best."
The company said that both its cars and "culture" will "come to life" in a number of "exclusive brand stores", with the first of these being located in the 8th arrondissement in Paris.
Jaguar will launch three new electric cars in 2026, having taken new cars off sale more than a year ago to focus on its rebrand.
Adrian Mardell, chief executive of Jaguar Land Rover, said: "The magic of Jaguar is close to my heart – an original British luxury brand unmatched in its heritage, artistry and emotional magnetism.
"That's the Jaguar we are recapturing and we will create the same sense of awe that surrounded iconic models like the E-type.
"Our journey is already under way, guided by our original ethos to copy nothing – and the results will be nothing short of spectacular."
Earlier this month, JLR announced plans to axe 500 management jobs just two months after Sir Keir Starmer spoke about "saving" staff.
The Tata-owned firm said around 1.5 per cent of its UK workforce would be affected by the job cuts, which are going as part of a voluntary redundancy programme for managers in the UK.
