Lotus names Ben Payne as chief creative officer

Ben Payne has been announced as chief creative officer at Lotus Technology. He shifts into a new role at the carmaker, having previously served as head of the Lotus Tech Creative Centre (LTCC) in Coventry, UK.

He will remain in charge of the LTCC team but will now be tasked with covering all creative aspects relating to Lotus’ new range of electric ‘lifestyle’ cars as well, notably the fully electric Eletre SUV, not only its first EV but also its first in the high-riding segment. Payne will also coordinate the design output of visual assets for the Lotus brand. He will report to vp of design, Peter Horbury, who himself transitioned into a broader role at Lotus in January. As will Russell Carr, who continues to lead the sports car design team in Hethel.

Payne says that the new gig will help the LTCC team to “build its influence within the wider business” and modestly attributes his promotion to the “creativity and spirit of the entire team.” Horbury surmises that the role will “continue to drive forward the global growth of the iconic Lotus brand.” Payne has been within the wider Geely group since 2018, joining Geely Design UK back in 2018 before it was renamed to LTCC four years later.

Payne is clearly doing something right, having been nominated in the ‘Most Supportive Design Leader’ category in CDN’s People Awards in December. This category aims to recognise designers that inspire their team to push the boundaries of automotive design through leadership, creating a supportive working culture and quick decision making.

There have been moving chairs elsewhere at Lotus, too. In August, John Paul “JP” Gregory joined LTCC as head of exterior design, leaving a similar role at Aston Martin. Like Payne, Gregory will be focussing on the fully electric lifestyle vehicles coming out of Lotus. The Eletre is the first of many to come, with more of a focus on luxury interiors and practicality than would usually be expected of the brand.

Lotus is ultimately setting course for uncharted waters, and changes within the senior design team are clearly an effort to ensure the evolution of the brand is navigated safely. Payne notes that the team will ”continue to focus on creativity and consistency” moving forward.