GM Design Chief Wayne Cherry to Retire After 42-Year Career

.October 01, 2003
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GM Design Chief Wayne Cherry to Retire After 42-Year Career

Ed Welburn to Become Sixth Design Leader in GM's 95-Year History

Wayne Cherry
Photo: GM

DETROIT - Wayne Cherry, an award-winning automotive designer who has overseen the renaissance of GM Design, will retire as vice president of design on Jan. 1, ending a remarkable 42-year career with the world's largest automaker.

GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner announced Cherry's retirement Friday and the appointment of Ed Welburn as only the sixth design chief in GM's 95-year history.

Welburn, executive director in charge of body-on-frame architectures for GM Design, will become vice president of design, North America, on Oct. 1 and fully assume Cherry's responsibilities. Those responsibilities, in addition to day-to-day management of GM Design, include membership on the GM North America Strategy Board and oversight of GM's Global Design Council. Until his retirement, Cherry will assist Welburn in the transition and be involved with global design initiatives.

"Under Wayne's leadership, GM Design has reasserted itself as one of the industry's most innovative, bold and original design houses," Wagoner said. "He has had an outstanding career in Europe and the United States, and was the key force behind a long list of successful GM cars and trucks."

Cherry, 66, began his career in GM's advanced design studios in 1962 after graduation from the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. His first major opportunity to contribute his design talents was on the team that designed the groundbreaking 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado and the first-generation Chevrolet Camaro - two modern-era classics.

Cherry spent much of his career in Europe, designing several hit products for GM's European subsidiaries, Vauxhall and Opel, before returning to the United States in 1991. He became the fifth vice president of GM Design in 1992. (See related release for full details of Cherry's career.)

More recently, his credits include the new identity, vision and design direction for Cadillac and GM's newest brand, HUMMER. Under Cherry's direction, GM revealed more than 35 concept cars and trucks around the globe - more than any other automaker in such a brief period - including the Chevy SSR, the Pontiac Solstice roadster and coupe in 2002, and several Cadillac concepts, including the breathtaking 2003 Cadillac Sixteen.

Welburn, 52, began his GM career in 1972 as an associate designer in the advanced design studios, and held various positions at Oldsmobile, Saturn and Opel. His passion for performance was evident in his design of the Oldsmobile Aerotech, which established two world records of more than 257 mph in 1987, driven by the legendary A.J. Foyt.

"Ed has the skills and talent needed to successfully direct a design organization with the unique product breadth and depth of GM," Wagoner said. "With his broad experience and passion for design, Ed will take GM Design to the next level of creating exciting, compelling cars and trucks."

Upon his return from Europe in 1998, Welburn was named director of GM's new Corporate Brand Center, a state-of-the-art digital studio. In that position, he was responsible for the development of innovative concept and production vehicles, including new types of vehicles, for GM's automotive brands around the globe.

Welburn was named in 2001 to his current position, in which he is responsible for three body-on-frame studios that have overseen the design of such hit trucks as the Cadillac Escalade, Chevy SSR and HUMMER H2.

Welburn is a native of Philadelphia and received a bachelor's degree in 1972 from the College of Fine Arts at Howard University in Washington, where he studied product design and sculpture.

(September 26, 2003)

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