Bryan Nesbitt

Bryan Edward Nesbitt (b. January 24, 1969 in Phoenix, Arizona) is an American automobile designer who will replace Michael Simcoe as Senior Vice President of Global Design on July 1, 2025.

Previously Nesbitt had held the position of GM's North American Exterior Design and Global Architecture Strategy and had been a designer with Chrysler. Several of his more prominent styling contributions have been to the Chrysler PT Cruiser, the similarly retro Chevrolet HHR, the seventh generation Chevrolet Malibu, and the 1997 Chrysler CCV, which had been conceived as a Chinese people's car with bodywork constructed of recycled plastic bottles.

Background

Bryan Edward Nesbitt was born in Phoenix, Arizona and had wanted to be an automobile designer since his childhood. He studied Architecture and Industrial Design at the Georgia Institute of Technology and holds a bachelor's degree with Honors in Transportation Design from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.

Speaking of the childhood influences on his design perspective, Nesbitt cited several summer drives across North America in an AMC Gremlin with his mother:

Career

At DaimlerChrysler for seven years, Nesbitt designed the 1999 PT Cruiser concept vehicles, the 1998 Chrysler Pronto Cruizer and the 1997 Chrysler CCV. Nesbitt joined General Motors in April 2001 as chief designer for the Chevrolet brand. In January 2002, Nesbitt was appointed executive director in design and body-frame integral architectures for all North American GM brands. He became Executive Director of GM Europe Design in February 2004, and was responsible for all Opel, Saab, and Vauxhall design activities. In June 2007, he returned to the U.S. as the General Motors Vice-President of Design for North America, responsible for all brands marketed and sold in the United States, Canada, and Mexico—at the time those were Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, GMC, and Hummer. In July 2009, GM put Nesbitt in charge of the Cadillac brand, then removed him from that position on 2 March 2010 back to his old position as executive director of the advanced concept group.

As one of the youngest GM designers, Nesbitt contributed to the design of the Pontiac Solstice, Pontiac G6 coupe, Cadillac DTS and BLS, Buick Lucerne, Chevrolet Impala, HHR and Cobalt coupe, Saturn Aura and Sky, GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook, and Buick Enclave.

In a 2001 USA Today article, Bob Lutz clarified Nesbitt's role in the Chevrolet HHR design:

In a July 2008 interview for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Nesbitt spoke of his design philosophy at GM:

Nesbitt won an Automotive Hall Of Fame 2002 Young Leadership And Excellence Award while at GM.

In February 2004, Nesbitt was appointed as the Executive Director of GM Europe Design. In this role, he was responsible for overseeing the design and development of vehicles for Opel, Saab, and Vauxhall, three of GM's key European brands. Returning to the U.S. in June 2007, he served as GM's Vice-President of Design for North America, overseeing brands including Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, GMC, and Hummer.

In July 2009, Bryan Nesbitt was appointed General Manager of the Cadillac brand, a move that marked a significant transition from his design-focused roles to a broader leadership position within General Motors (GM). In this capacity, Nesbitt was responsible for overseeing Cadillac's global operations, including marketing, sales, and product planning, aiming to revitalize the brand's image and market presence. In March 2010, GM announced a restructuring of its North American operations, leading to Nesbitt's reassignment. He transitioned to the role of Executive Director of the Advanced Concept Group, focusing on innovative design strategies and future vehicle concepts.

In August 2011, Nesbitt was appointed Vice President of Design for GM International Operations (GMIO), based in Shanghai, China. In this role, he served as the lead voice for design in the GMIO region and acted as the brand chairman for Wuling and Baojun, GM's joint venture partners in China.

In March 2022, Bryan Nesbitt was appointed Executive Director of Global Cadillac Design. In this role, he oversaw the brand’s design strategy and development, drawing on his extensive experience at General Motors (GM).

In January 2025, GM announced that Michael Simcoe, Senior Vice President of Global Design, would retire on July 1, 2025, after a 42-year career. Bryan Nesbitt was named as his successor, making him the eighth head of design in GM’s history.

References

External links

Photo of Bryan Nesbitt

Bryan Nesbitt presents the Saab 9-4x BioPower Concept at the Boston Auto Show, Jan 2008

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nesbitt, Bryan
American automobile designers
Chrysler designers
General Motors designers
Living people
1969 births
Georgia Tech alumni
Opel designers