French carmaker Citroën has announced Pierre Leclercq as its new head of design. He replaces Alexandre Malval, who had held the position since June 2012.

A native of Belgium, the 46-year old Leclercq studied at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California and earned a degree in Transportation Design in 1998.

Following a stint at Ford’s Ghia studio in Italy, in 2000 he joined the BMW Group, where he worked on exterior design projects not just for BMW but also for Rolls Royce and Mini. In 2011, he was appointed lead designer for BMW M cars.

Subsequently leaving the German manufacturer in 2013, he was named design director of China’s Great Wall Motors, and later in 2017, he was appointed design boss of Kia.

Starting from November, Leclercq will report to Groupe PSA head of design, Jean-Pierre Ploué.

“With the appointment of Pierre Leclercq as Citroën head of design, I am fully confident in our ability to start a new cycle of creativity to offer models with even stronger design while continuing to embody the focus on comfort that is so central to the brand,” says Linda Jackson, Citroën’s current CEO.

Tags: Alexandre Malval, Art Center College of Design, BMW, car design, car designer, Citroën, Ford, Ghia, Great Wall Motors, Jean-Pierre Ploué, Kia, Linda Jackson, Mini, Pierre Leclercq, PSA Group, Rolls-Royce