Jaguar's No. 2 designer, Julian Thomson, has been promoted to the top job at the U.K. luxury brand after current head of design Ian Callum announced he will leave the company, effective July 1.
In his 20 years at Jaguar, Callum, 64, has overseen a shift in design away from a traditional luxury style that frequently referenced cars from the past to a much more modern look, culminating in the I-Pace electric crossover.
Thomson, 57, is Jaguar's creative design director. He joined the company in 2000 from Lotus, where he was head of design.
Callum said in a statement that he was leaving to explore other design projects, without being specific. He will continue as a design consultant for the company, Jaguar said.
"I came into this role with a mission to take Jaguar design back to where it deserved to be. It has taken 20 years, but I believe I have achieved what I set out to do," Callum said in the statement. "I feel that now is the right time to move on, both personally and professionally, and explore other design projects."
