Designers as CEOs? Why Not?

The latest trend in auto-executive HR is the promotion of designer to CEO. The movement started with Henrik Fisker, who appointed himself to start his own company, but the idea has since caught fire in boardrooms across Detroit. The PT Cruiser’s Bryan Nesbitt is now running Cadillac, and Ralph Gilles, creator of the Chrysler 300, is in charge of Dodge. Weren’t there any good accountants available? But what at first glance might seem like utter lunacy is, I think, the common sense of last resort. With very few exceptions, the domestic manufacturers’ earthbound glide paths have been charted by finance guys. What these two divisions need right

now are bosses who understand what differentiates a great product from a mediocre one. For all the industry blather about product saving the day, these appointments are the first positive indication that the corporate boards believe it. For designers—as much as engineers—are the real product guys in this business, the ones who synthesize the prerogatives of packaging, architecture, human factors, manufacturing, cost, and styling. The great ones create cars that are more than the sum of their parts. So the lunatics are running the asylum. How much worse could they screw it up? No related posts.

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Designers as CEOs? Why Not?