GM's Top Designer Is Retiring

(RTTNews) - General Motors Co. (GM) Thursday announced that its Design Chief Ed Welburn is retiring after working for more than four decades with the auto maker. Welburn will be replaced by Michael Simcoe, VP of Design for GM International.

Welburn has led GM Design since 2003, and globally since 2005, the first African American from any automaker to do so.

Michael Simcoe is currently the vice president of GM International Design, based in Australia and Korea. Simcoe has been in his current role since 2014, overseeing GM's production and advanced studios in Korea, Australia and India.

Simcoe joined GM as a designer in 1983 at Holden, Australia. He became director of design for GM Asia Pacific in 1995 and executive director of Asia Pacific Design in 2003.

Simcoe is known for his most recent award-winning Buick Avenir Concept. Last month, he introduced the Chevrolet Colorado Xtreme and Trailblazer Premier show cars at the Bangkok International Motor Show.