Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Creed leaving the head designer post [Chargersforum]

Chrysler LLC said its head designer, Trevor Creed, will retire effective Sept. 1, the latest in a string of executive departures since the auto maker was acquired a year ago by private-equity group Cerberus Capital Management LP.

Mr. Creed, 63 years old and a 23-year veteran at Chrysler, will be succeeded as vice president of design by Ralph Gilles, now head of design for trucks and Chrysler's Jeep brand.

Mr. Gilles is considered a rising star in the auto industry. He had a hand in styling the Chrysler 300 sedan that was a hot-seller a few years ago and oversaw design of the new Dodge Ram pickup coming out later this year.
Mr. Creed helped develop the look for some iconic models, such as the new Dodge Challenger muscle car, but he is also associated with the Chrysler Sebring, a sedan whose design was panned by critics.
His future at Chrysler had been the subject of much speculation inside the company for several months. Several other top executives have been forced out or have chosen to leave the company since Cerberus bought its 80.1% stake last year.

They include Jason Vines, who had been Chrysler's top spokesman as well as Mr. Vines's deputy and his successor. Others included Mike Donoughe, a highly regarded engineer; and William Mattingly, a veteran electronics engineer

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