Guangzhou, China, September 13, 2024 – GAC, a leading Chinese automotive company, has announced the appointment of Benoit Jacob as Executive Design Director of GAC. In this role, Benoit will work closely with Fan Zhang, Vice President of GAC R&D Center, to spearhead GAC's design strategy and practice.

Benoit Jacob

A Celebrated Automotive Designer Behind Iconic Cars and Award-Winning Designs

Benoit Jacob is a celebrated automotive designer with an illustrious career spanning over two decades. He has held key design positions at some of the world's most prestigious automotive companies. Benoit graduated from Art Center's European campus with a degree in Transport Design before beginning his career at Renault in 1994, where he contributed to the design of models such as the Sport Spider, Fiftie concept car, and the production Laguna II saloon and station wagon.

In 2001, Benoit joined Volkswagen, where he played a key role in establishing Audi's advanced design studio in Munich. During his time there, he contributed to the early development of key models, including the Audi A1 and A4/A5 family in the early phase, and worked on significant projects such as the VW Passat, Audi R8, as well as Seat and Lamborghini. In 2004, Benoit joined BMW, where he led the design of several notable vehicles, including the F30 3 Series, F32/F33 6 Series, F07 5 Series GT, Z4, and the M1 Hommage concept. He later became the head of BMW's i sub-brand in 2010, earning widespread acclaim for his work on the BMW i3 and i8 models, which were groundbreaking in the electric vehicle segment. By 2013, Benoit's role expanded to Head of BMW Advanced Design and Vice President of BMW Group Design, overseeing all advanced design projects for BMW, and defining the product vision

for the brands BMW, Mini and Rolls Royce. In 2016, Benoit joined Byton as Co-Founder and Senior Vice President of Design, where he was responsible for the development of Byton's concept and production vehicles and the establishment of the brand's identity. In 2021, Benoit took on the role of Vice President at Nio, where he was responsible for product design, strategic planning, and brand positioning, continuing his groundbreaking work in the electric vehicle sector.

Benoi's work has earned him several prestigious awards, including the Red Dot Design Award, the German Design Award, and the Green Good Design Award. His designs are recognized for their innovation, functionality, and sustainability.

Optimism for the Future of Chinese Car Brands and Alignment with GAC's Vision

Benoit's decision to join GAC is driven by his optimism about the future of Chinese automotive brands and his admiration for GAC's commitment to design innovation. “Chinese car brands are rapidly gaining recognition on the global stage, and GAC is at the forefront of this movement. I am particularly impressed by GAC's dedication to pushing the boundaries of design and technology, and I see tremendous potential in what we can achieve together,” said Benoit.

GAC's latest ERA electric concept car has impressed Benoit Jacob with its design innovation

Expressing enthusiasm, Benoit said, “I am excited to join GAC at this critical growth phase and contribute to creating products that inspire worldwide. I've closely followed the rise of Chinese car brands and am drawn to GAC's future vision.”

Fan Zhang, expressed his confidence in Benoit's new role, stating, “We are thrilled to have Benoit Jacob join our team. His visionary approach on design and his impressive track record of creating iconic vehicles will be massive beneficial to the team. I am very much looking forward to working with him together with other talented designers within GAC DESIGN, to make GAC a truly global leading design driven automotive brand.”

GAC R&D CENTER