Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has used a speech at the SMMT international automotive summit to announce the members of the new Automotive Council.
The creation of the Council was revealed earlier this month as part of the Government’s response to recommendations made in the industry-led report from the New Automotive Innovation and Growth Team (NAIGT).
A Supply Chain Council and a Technology Council will also be set up as part of the Automotive Council which will address the strategic challenges facing the car industry over the longer term. The membership has been drawn from a wide ranging area of expertise and represents every part of the sector.
As announced earlier, the Automotive Council will be jointly chaired by Lord Mandelson and Richard Parry Jones (ex-Ford), who also led the NAIGT. Other members include:
• David Smith (Deputy) – Jaguar Land Rover
• Gordon Murray (Deputy) – Gordon Murray Design
• Joe Greenwell – Ford
• Bill Parfitt – GM
• Kenneth Keir – Honda
• Trevor Mann – Nissan
• Jürgen Hedrich – BMW
• Graham Smith – Toyota
• Jon Carling – Aston Martin
• Franz-Josef Paefgen – Bentley
The first meeting of the Automotive Council is expected to be held in December.
