Proton appoints Jean-Marc Gales as new Lotus CEO

Proton Holdings Bhd Friday announced the appointment of Jean-Marc Gales as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Group Lotus plc, effective May 1, 2014.

Prior to his new appointment at Lotus, Gales, who hails from Luxembourg, was European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA) CEO since 2012, during which he played a key role in turning around the association through various strategic initiatives, including streamlining the working processes and increasing corporate members.

Gales, whose experience in the motor industry included stints in Daimler AG, General Motors and Volkswagen AG, was the Automobiles Citroen and Automobiles Peugeot President between 2009 and 2012, when he restructured the entire sales value chain and implemented a new brand strategy.

Aslam Farikullah, the current Chief Operating Officer of Group Lotus plc, remains as Member of the Board of Lotus Cars Limited and will continue to contribute to the growth of the business in the future.

Proton CEO, Datuk Abdul Harith Abdullah, said: "We believe that with his strong technical and managerial expertise and leadership, Jean-Marc will be able to drive the Lotus transformation plan and further enhance Lotus' business and capabilities."

Group Lotus plc is based in Norfolk, United Kingdom, and has three operating divisions -- Lotus Cars, Lotus Engineering and Lotus Motorsport.