Ian Callum steps down as Director of Design at Jaguar after 20 years

Aditya Chatterjee Updated: June 05, 2019, 12:33 AM IST

Whenever there is a mention about Jaguar cars, its stunning design has always been one of the most important topics. And the name synonymous with the same was that of Ian Callum. The 64-year old Scotsman has decided to step down as Director of Design at Jaguar after a tenure of 20 years. He will be succeeded by Julian Thomson who is currently the company's Creative Design Director. Julian will assume his new responsibilities from July 1. The British automobile manufacturer confirms that the Ian Callum will continue his association with the company as design consultant.

Ian Callum joined Jaguar in 1999 and has been instrumental in giving the company's portfolio a new design direction, which also included award-winning work. These include the F-Type, the XE, XF and XJ saloons and also the brand's first SUVs, the F-Pace, E-Pace as well as the all-electric I-Pace that won the 2019 World Car of the Year as well as World Car design of the year. Prior to Jaguar, Callum had spent 12 years at Ford Design Studios, followed by his stint as Designer of TWR Design responsible for the Aston Martin DB7, Vanquish and DB9. In 2014, he received the Minerva Medal, the highest accolade bestowed by the Chartered Society of Designers, awarded for a lifetime's achievement in design.

"I have had an incredible career at Jaguar. One of my biggest highlights was creating XF because it represented the beginning of a new era moving Jaguar from tradition to contemporary design it was a significant turning point in our story. Designing the F-Type was a dream come true for me, and I-Pace was an opportunity to create something hugely innovative that would really challenge the perception of Jaguar and its success is testament to just how far the brand has come," Callum commented.

He further added, "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. Given the strength of both our products and the design team, I feel that now is the right time to move on, both personally and professionally, and explore other design projects. Designing Jaguar cars was a lifelong dream for me and I'm delighted to remain involved as a consultant for the brand. I have worked closely with Julian Thomson for 18 years he is a hugely talented designer and absolutely the right person to lead Jaguar design into its next chapter."

Ian's successor at Jaguar, Julian joined the company in 2000. He has overseen the development of the design concepts for the entire current product range. Julian began his career at Ford in Dunton, England, before moving to Lotus, where he became Head of Design, then Chief of Exteriors at Volkswagen Group's Concept Design Centre.