Design Chief Michael Simcoe Retires After 42 years With GM
General Motors has announced that Michael Simcoe, Senior Vice President of GM Global Design, will retire later in 2025. Simcoe has been with GM for 42 years, having started with Holden in his native Australia in 1983 off the back of a Diploma of Art Industrial Design from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and eventually helping to launch the reborn Camaro, among oseveral other things. He will be succeeded by the current executive director of Global Cadillac Design, Bryan Nesbitt. Nesbitt will be the eighth GM Design chief in nearly a century – a lineage that started with the innovation and genius of Harley Earl in 1927 and followed by Bill Mitchell in 1958.
Simcoe Has Had A Long And Varied Career In Design
Simcoe started with Holden in 1983, and just a few years later he became senior designer, then chief designer in 1987. In 1995, Simcoe moved on to become the director of design for GM Asia Pacific, overseeing collaborations with Daewoo, Isuzu, and Subaru when it was still Fuji Heavy Industries. Among other things, Simcoe went back to Holden where he was heavily involved with the Holden Commodore being restored to the status of Australian hero, and established GM Korea Design Operations before gaining the wordy title of Executive Director North American Exterior Design and Global Architecture Strategy. In that position, he oversaw new designs that included the Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac CTS, and the rebirth of the aforementioned Chevrolet Camaro.
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“Michael is a visionary designer and leader,” said GM President Mark Reuss. “He has elevated automotive design not just at GM, but the world over. Under his leadership, GM Design has created a stunning vehicle portfolio that customers love. His focus on the customer, keen eye for detail, and an emphasis on the future made Michael everything we could have asked for in a chief designer. He also fostered a deep, collaborative relationship with engineering and manufacturing to push the boundaries of creativity and execution. Michael and his team have cemented design as a fundamental competitive advantage for GM.”
Simcoe’s Replacement Has Been Involved In Some Controversial Designs, But Some Stunners Too
Nesbitt’s career has involved a heavy hand in the retro designs of the Chrysler PT Cruiser and Chevrolet HHR, and roles have included Executive Director of GM Europe Design and General Motors Vice-President of Design for North America. As a result of those positions, he’s been responsible for Opel, Saab, and Vauxhall in Europe, and Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, GMC, and Hummer in North America. Most recently, Nesbitt has been behind the Cadillac Opulent Velocity and Cadillac Sollei concepts. He will take over from Simcoe as senior vice president of GM Global Design on July 1, 2025.
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“It has been humbling to be a part of shaping the future of transportation and evolving automotive design, while ensuring that the intersection of art and technology is core to GM Design and our business,” Simcoe says. “GM has some of the most gifted designers and artisans in the world. My job has been to create the environment, and give them the tools, to flourish and bring our vision to life. Under Bryan’s leadership, I know GM Design will continue to drive the company forward. He shares my belief in our team’s creative talent and their potential, and I’m excited to see how the next generation of GM Design influences the automotive landscape.”
