How Did I Get Here?

Gerry McGovern

Design director and chief creative officer, Land Rover
  • Education
  • Binley Park Comprehensive School, Coventry, England, class of 1971
  • Lanchester Polytechnic, Coventry, class of 1975
  • Royal College of Art, London, class of 1977
  • Work Experience
  • 1978–80
    Designer, Chrysler USA
  • 1980–82
    Senior designer, Peugeot/Chrysler Group UK
  • 1982–99
    Principal designer, Austin Rover Group UK
  • 1999–2003
    Senior designer, Lincoln-Mercury USA
  • 2003–04
    Creative director, Ingeni
  • 2004–06
    Director of advanced design, Land Rover
  • 2006–Present
    Design director and chief creative officer, Land Rover
  • Life Lessons
  • “Develop the right level of intransigence to protect your vision.”
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  • “A lot of businesses and designers think about what they want, rather than what the customer wants.”
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  • “Around 15, I became obsessed with art and saw myself as a painter. I did portraits of the teachers’ children for £5 a go.”
  • With his mother at the beach, 1962
  • “Don’t ask me what I worked on. I can’t remember.”
  • “I ran a design consultancy in London. It was owned by Ford, but an opportunity to think entrepreneurially.”
  • With Victoria Beckham at the 40th anniversary party for Range Rover in London, 2010
  • “I worked on a concept vehicle that became the Range Rover Evoque, which has been incredibly successful—we sell 130,000 a year. I’m currently directing the creation of a new generation of Land Rover vehicles.”
  • “My first production car was the MGF sports car, which got my name on the design map, and then I was chief designer of the Land Rover Freelander.”
  • McGovern’s Lincoln Mark 9 concept, 2001
  • “The challenge was to re-create Lincoln back to its glamorous heyday, and I hired designers from all over the world.”
  • With industrialist Ratan Tata (center) and Apple’s Jony Ive, 2015
  • With artist Nino Mustica in front of their London sculptural collaboration, 2014