General Motors today announced Michael Simcoe, vice president, Global Design, is promoted to senior vice president, Global Design, effective Jan. 1. Simcoe will continue to report to GM President Mark Reuss.
“Under Michael’s leadership the GM design team has delivered winning design after winning design, demonstrating the ability to connect with customers in all vehicle segments, for both internal combustion engine vehicles and electric vehicles,” said Reuss. “GM Design has also played a pivotal role in the expansion of our business, developing concepts that highlight our path to an all-electric, autonomous future and solutions for new business models like BrightDrop and Cruise.”
“Elevating design in the organization demonstrates how important the integration of design and technology is as we continue to transform the company,” Reuss added.
Under Simcoe’s leadership, GM’s brand design studios have executed award-winning products across several categories. Examples of EVs created during Simcoe’s leadership include the Buick Wildcat concept and upcoming Electra EVs, Cadillac CELESTIQ and LYRIQ, GMC HUMMER EV Pickup and SUV and Sierra EV, and the Chevrolet Equinox EV, Blazer EV and Silverado EV. Other milestone vehicles include the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, the company’s first-ever mid-engine Corvette; the 2021 Cadillac Escalade with the industry’s first application of innovative display and audio technology; and the first-ever 2023 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate, further elevating the GMC brand.
During Simcoe’s tenure leading GM Design, he has set high expectations for cross-functional collaboration guided by customer’s needs and has reshaped the organization to deliver not only new products with a focus on detail and execution, but a creative rethink of the business that’s inspired growth in spaces like electrification, autonomy and software. His teams guided thinking around a delivery ecosystem that’s become the burgeoning BrightDrop brand, designed the Cruise Origin purpose-built autonomous vehicle and developed a view of a Cadillac-branded personal autonomous portfolio with the Halo concepts. He’s also guided the infusion of the latest virtual and immersive design development technologies into the team’s daily work and increased collaboration across GM functions globally.
Simcoe has led GM Global Design since 2016. He has built a reputation for applying global design excellence and creativity to the company’s distinct brands and for inspiring the team to deliver winning products to the market. This team has also gained new perspectives and reached new markets under Simcoe’s leadership, including the current expansion into Europe.
Simcoe joined GM in 1983 as a designer at Holden in Australia. He became director of GM Asia Pacific Design in 1995 and was named executive director of the division in 2003, leading the development of the new GM Korea design operations. He became executive director of North American Exterior Design the following year, responsible for commercial successes like the GMC Terrain, Buick LaCrosse, Chevrolet Camaro and Equinox and Cadillac CTS.
Prior to leading GM Global Design, Simcoe was responsible for design in GM’s international markets.
Simcoe holds an Associate Diploma of Art Industrial Design from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and was inducted into the Design Industry Australia Hall of Fame in 2018. He is a member of the College for Creative Studies (Detroit) Board of Trustees.
SOURCE: General Motors
