ArtCenter names new transportation design chair
Marek Djordjevic, an alumnus of Rolls-Royce and BMW Designworks, steps into a pivotal leadership role at the design school
ArtCenter College of Design has announced that Marek Djordjevic will assume the position of Chair of the Transportation Design Department as of September 1, replacing Stewart Reed, who retired in May of this year.
Djordjevic, who was born in Belgrade, Serbia, is an ArtCenter alumnus, and spent 15 years at BMW Group, working on designs for BMW, MINI, MG, Land Rover, and Rolls-Royce. At Rolls, he spearheaded the design of the Phantom Sedan, the Drophead Coupe, and the centenary Rolls-Royce 100EX (shown below). He also worked with Rolls-Royce directors to help shape the marque’s future design direction and product planning.
His leadership positions at the BMW Group included chief of exterior design at Rolls-Royce, and creative director at BMW Designworks.
In 2005 he began his own consultancy, Marek Djordjevic Inc., working with a wide range of clients, from automotive startups to large multi-national corporations. Djordjevic has been long established at ArtCenter, teaching there for 19 years, along with engaging industry and academic leaders in the US and beyond.
“Over the past 75 years, ArtCenter’s Transportation Design department has established itself as internationally renowned and at the very pinnacle of education, producing exceptional designers who are making unparalleled contributions to the field. It is a humbling honor to leverage this tremendous legacy as we move forward together to build and grow our undergraduate and graduate programs,” said Djordjevic. “I’m thrilled to be part of this new chapter in the history of ArtCenter.”
Joining Djordjevic in new leadership roles will be Alan Macey, who will be associate chair leading the Bachelor of Science of Transportation programme. Macey is also an ArtCenter alumnus, whose long career includes work with Arrival, BMW, Bugatti, Dodge, Fiat, Ford, Jeep and Yamaha.
At the master’s level, Richard Pelletier assumes the role of associate chair, and will build on his past role as senior faculty. Pelletier has also had a storied career with BMW, MINI, Ford, Lincoln, Magellean, Scania Trucks, and more. He concurrently holds the position of head of design at Xtelligent.io.
Djordjevic, Macey and Pelletier will be advancing ArtCenter’s Transportation Design programs at a time of great change at the College and in the industry which its graduates will serve. Hyundai and Didi, amoung others, have invested heavily in ArtCenter and new facilities are soon to come online in the coming years.
No doubt new solutions for mobility will also be coming, as they have for 75 years, and Car Design News will be here to report on their efforts and many successes.