Ben Payne promoted at Lotus

Lotus Group has appointed a new vice president of design: Ben Payne. It has been something of a rapid ascendance for the British designer, who not even a year ago was promoted to the role of chief creative officer at Lotus Tech Creative Centre.

But with the passing of industry icon Peter Horbury in June, there was a gap in leadership that needed filling. Payne will be the first to admit that those are some big shoes to fill, but he already plays a key role in Lotus’ design strategy and is well placed to take on the top job.

In a statement, Payne described the move as an honour and celebrated the positive impact that Horbury has had on his own career. “It was a privilege to call [Peter] a friend,” he said, “[…] a great mentor in shaping global creative leadership and influencing my own design philosophy.”

An RCA graduate, Payne went on to pursue a career primarily in exterior design following an internship at Volkswagen and later landing senior spots at Studio Makkina, General Motors, Bugatti and Aston Martin. He joined Geely Design UK as chief exterior designer in November 2018 and prior to his CCO role at Lotus had served as managing director of LTCC.

A nominee for Most Supportive Design Leader at the inaugural CDN People Awards last December, Payne is clearly recognised by his peers not only for his talents as a designer but also a mentor. Payne and his team were also instrumental in the design of Lotus’ stand at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, where we caught up with Russell Carr who continues to lead the sports car design team in Hethel.

There have been changes elsewhere within Lotus of late. In January this year, Matthew Hill was promoted as head of interior design at LTCC, credited for his work on the brand’s first SUV, the Eletre. In August 2022, Aston Martin and Bentley designer JP Gregory joined LTCC as head of exterior design; Payne, who brought him in, described Gregory as “a world-class talent.”

With an orderbook of over 17,000 units for the Emira sportscar and Eletre it has been a record first half of the year for Lotus as a company, good signs as it pushes into new, potentially tricky, territory.