JLR Names New Manufacturing Chief

Jaguar Land Rover Ltd. has appointed Grant McPherson to head its manufacturing operations, effective July 1.

He will succeed Wolfgang Stadler, who will retire next month. Stadler joined JLR in 2013 after a 30-year career at BMW AG.

McPherson joined JLR in 2011 and has headed the company’s quality and safety group since 2013. He previously worked for Honda Motor Co.

In addition to JLR’s three U.K. plants, McPherson will oversee the assembly of Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles in Austria, Brazil, China and Slovakia. He also will direct retooling for production of electrified vehicles.

JLR’s first electric models—the E- and I-Pace crossover vehicles—are built in Austria (through Magna Steyr) and China, because the company’s British factories are running at or near full capacity. JLR plans to offer hybrid and all-electric powertrain options on all new models starting in 2020.