McLaren appoints Kemal Curic as Chief Design Officer

Kemal Curic has landed a new role at McLaren as Chief Design Officer, where he will lead all design functions, including interiors, exteriors, CMF (colour, materials and finish), and digital design.

Curic joins from Ford, where he has been since 2004, contributing to numerous concept and production car designs. He initially began working in Ford’s European division as an interior designer before switching in 2006 to work on the exterior design of the third-gen Ford Focus. Other projects he was involved in at Ford Europe include the Mondeo and Kuga.

A move across the pond to Ford’s global headquarters in Michigan saw Curic involved in several more designs, including the 2015 Ford Mustang, before joining Ford’s luxury brand Lincoln. At Lincoln, Curic worked as Exterior Design Manager for the Lincoln Continental.

Most recently, Curic has served as Global Design Director for Ford Performance Vehicles sector.

Based in Woking and the brand’s new Bicester design facility, Curic’s role at McLaren will see him be “responsible for shaping the design vision and creative direction of the McLaren Automotive portfolio”.

Curic replaces outgoing Chief Design Officer Tobias Sühlmann, who joined Porsche in January after three years with the British marque. Sühlmann’s departure came not long after news of McLaren’s merger with luxury start up company Forseven.

Kemal Curic was part of Ford’s exterior design team for the popular Focus MkIII
credit: Ford

“A company so deeply rooted in engineering excellence and racing heritage”

Curic said: “McLaren is one of the most respected and aspirational brands in the world. I’m excited to be part of their journey to help shape the design vision of a company so deeply rooted in engineering excellence and racing heritage. I look forward to working with the talented teams at McLaren to create the next generation of breathtaking, purpose‑driven cars.”

words: Mike Booth
pictures: McLaren Automotive