Jaguar Land Rover sent shockwaves across the auto industry with two major moves to start the year. Mike Cross, the company's most senior engineer, announced his retirement after 37 long years of service. Jaguar Land Rover immediately filled the void of Cross' departure, appointing former Aston Martin engineer Matt Becker to be the lead developer of the company's new breed of electrified vehicles.
Cross, who is Jaguar Land Rover's vehicle targets and sign-off director, played a huge role in developing the company's first plug-in hybrids. He was also integral in developing "Jaguar's distinctive handling and driving character."
Cross released a statement ahead of his departure on February 28, saying he had a wonderful career at Jaguar Land Rover, a stint that started when he joined Jaguar Rover Triumph as a student apprentice. Cross added that he never expected to be so involved in the development and engineering of some of the most iconic cars in the automotive industry.
He added that he relished the responsibility of evaluating new products through the eyes of the Jaguar and Land Rover customers as the company's chief engineer. According to Cross, that role allowed him to drive plenty of cars and meet many important people, including Richard Parry-Jones and Sir Jackie Stewart. They became his mentors as he assumed the development engineer and vehicle evaluator roles.
Jaguar Land Rover vehicle programmes boss Nick Collins paid tribute to Cross, saying his "37-year contribution to the company is an intrinsic part in the story of their two brands." Collins hailed Cross' role in evaluating programmes from a customer perspective and guiding the development of their vehicles.
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It is not all doom and gloom for Jaguar Land Rover as the company managed to land one of the UK's most respected vehicle engineers in Matt Becker. He spent seven years as chief engineer at Aston Martin, leading the development of the DBX SUV and the Vantage and DB11, vehicles that were part of the company's Second Century plan.
Becker, who previously served as chief test and development engineer at Lotus, left Aston Martin last summer and was immediately placed by the company on gardening leave. He was widely expected to join McLaren, but the offer to become Jaguar Land Rover's new Vehicle Engineering Director proved too good to resist.
Becker's arrival comes at a perfect time for Jaguar Land Rover as the company transitions to becoming a fully electric luxury car brand. Collins was thrilled with Becker's signing, saying he is "a highly skilled and experienced engineer" who has a "great reputation for vehicle dynamics and engineering expertise." Collins added that Becker's appointment would strengthen Jaguar Land Rover's ability to deliver its "Reimagine" strategy.
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