Lotus has announced that its current engineering chief Matt Windle is to become its new managing director, replacing Phil Popham.
Windle, 49, started his motor industry occupation with the Norfolk sports automobile firm in 1998, and went on to rack up stints at Caterham, Tesla and Volvo before rejoining Lotus to lead its engineering division in 2017.
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Popham has elected to stand down from his position “to pursue personal projects” but no additionally details have been released on his future plans. The former Jaguar Land Rover executive, who joined Lotus in 2018, will continue until March to aid the new boss’s transition into his new role, although Whindle is assuming his new tasks immediately.
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Windle said, “It’s an honour to be appointed Managing director of Lotus. Of the lots of makers I have worked with over the years, Lotus has been the one closest to my heart. I have a history with this company dating back a lot more than 20 years and I really know my way around the business. The scale of the global opportunity ahead of us is both inspiring and all-consuming.”
The switch comes at a crucial moment in Lotus’s redevelopment under its owner, Chinese gigantic Geely. The company announced earlier this week that its three current models – Elise, Exige and Evora – will go out of production this year as it prepares to launch its all-new vehicle, codenamed type 131.
Popham said, “Matt is an exceptional fit for the senior leadership role. He has been an exceptional colleague to me considering that I joined the company, and is a popular and very effective member of the Lotus executive team. He’s a long-standing ‘Lotus Man’ and I’m pleased to welcome him as my successor.”
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