Yeh sunne mein aaya hai ki brand ke cheif creative officer ko Monday ko company se nikalne ko bola gaya, or unka position immediate effect se khatam kar diya gaya.
Autocar India ke sources ke according McGovern ko basically "office se escort karke bahar le jaaya gaya," but abhi tak clear nahi hai ki exact reason kya tha. jab poocha gaya, JLR ke spokesperson se bas itna bola "No comments". Parent company Tata motors ne abhi tak koi response nahi diya hai.
Yeh decision ka scene abhi zyada clear nahi hai, details thode kam hai. But yeh sab jab hua jab new CEO PB Balaji (jo pehle Tata motors mein finance head the) Adrian Mardell ke retirement ke baad charge liya, bas one weak pehle. Isse lagta hai ki JLR ki India based parent-company maybe British carmaker par aur tight control rekhne ki planning mein ho sakti hai.
McGovern ko JLR board mein bahut influential mana jata tha, aur late Ratan Tata jo Tata Group ke former chairman the, unke kaafi favourite the.
Yeh JLR mein McGovern ka 21 years ki journey ka end hai, ek aisa career jo highlights se bhara hua tha.
Coventry mein born hue designer McGovern ne literally Defender ko new lifeline de di. Wahi modern look jo aaj sabko crazy bana raha hai. Range Rover ki four car line up ko hemesha top par rekhne mein inka bada contribution raha hai.
Aur jaguar? poori company ko electric only brand banane ke mission par hai, aur ussi journey ka part hai uska woh Type 00 concept. haan, woh wala jo kaafi controversial bhi raha.
Plus, JLR ki 2021 wali Reimagine strategy mein bhi iska major contribution hai.
JLR join karne se pehle, McGovern ne MG EXE concept car, MGF roadster or first Land rover Freelander par kam kiya tha jab wo British Leyland mein the.
Phir 1999 mein woh Ford chale gaye, jahan unhone Lincoln-Mercury brand ko lead `kiya or California mein Design studios set kiye.
Baad mein wo UK wapas aaye London mein Design consultancy chalane ke liye, or phir 2004 mein Land Rover join kar liya.
McGovern ke design work ki wajah se unhe 2020 mein Autocar ka Sturmey Award mila, yeh award innovation or achievement ke liye jaata hai.
Who will take over for McGovern at JLR?
McGovern ko jaguar ke "reimagination" project par bahut zyada control diya gaya tha, jab former CEO Thierry Bolloré 2020 ke end mein rescue plan lekar aaye the. Par jo cheez aur bhi surprising hai woh yeh hai ki first "reimagined" model launch hone mein sirf kuch months bache hai, aur itne close connections ke bawajood McGovern ko itni jaldi hattaa diya gaya.
Expectations wale audience ke arguments bhi kaafi simple hai understand karne ke liye. Bina kisi push ke, McGovern ne almost poori tarah se autocratic control le liye, sirf new jaguar ke design par hi nahi, rather car banane ke un parts par bhi designers normally haath nahi daalte: publicity, advertising, brand development, launch timing, public statements or bahut kuch. Company ke under maybe kisi mein itna courage nahi tha ki woh usse challenge kar sake, but kaafi logon ko lagne laga tha ki yeh situation in the near future problems create karegi, dheere-dheere resentment build hoga, or end kaafi explosive ho sakta hai.
Jab PB Balaji, jo ek bahut hi financial strong or Tata Group ke core se aane wale new CEO hai, recently JLR join karke aaye, toh kaafi logon ka (especially, jo Indian finance press hai, jo kaafi outspoken hoti hai) unka manna tha ki unka first mission hoga JLR ko or McGovern ko track par lana.
Tata ke conservative managers ko jaguar ke Type 00 concept unveiled ke time jo adventurous, thoda bizarre or kabhi-kabhi disastrous publicity hui, unhe woh bilkul pasand nahi aayi. unhe wo old, classy brand ki jo new reshaping chal rahi thi, Uska feel bhi kaafi uncomfortable laga.
Yeh kaafi safe mana ja sakta hai ki McGovern ka jaana ya toh isliye hua because woh khud hi new management ke control mein aane ko ready nahi the, ya phir new leadership unke unpredictable, thode rebellious nature se thak chuki thi. Ab tak clear nahi hai ki sach kaunsa version hai, par jald hi details saamne aane wali hai.
Autocar ke editor steve cropley kehte hai ki "Meri khud ki feeling hai ki yeh kaafi disappointing hai ki McGovern ko apni first "reimagined" jaguar ko public launch tak le jaane ka chance nahi mila, bas curiosity thi dekhne ki ki woh itne promising product ko kaise present karte."
McGrovern hamesha instinctively wahi dete the jo unke brands ko chahiye hota. Strong leadership or unke future direction ko leke ek clear sa sense of certainty, chahe wo accha ho ya bura.
Ab samajhna difficult ho raha hai ki ab jab unka talented Ex-deputy, Massimo Fraschella, Audi join kar chuka hai, toh future mein aisi strong leadership ka role kaun le payega. But agar JLR itni-high design wali mission ko kisi faceless committee se ya sirf boardroom se manage karne ki koshish karegi, toh wo kaafi disappointing hoga. Main sure hoon ke Sir William Lyons ko yeh idea bilkul nahi pasand aata.
News Source: Autocar UK