Lotus gets a new boss – former Citroen Peugeot President Jean-Marc Gales

The rebuilding of Lotus after the Dany Bahar debacle looks set to continue with DRB-HICOM/Proton appointing former PSA President  Jean-Marc Gales as CEO.

Following the debacle of Dany Bahar’s grandiose plans to turn Lotus in to a cross between Aston Martin and Ferrari, owners DRB-HICOM/Proton have been busy trying to get ship Lotus back on an even keel.

That started with the appointment of engineer Aslam Farikullah as chief operating officer at Lotus when Bahar got his marching orders, and he’s been busy for the last two years bolting Lotus back together, cutting costs, improving quality and increasing sales.

Now, it looks like Lotus are readying themselves for the next stage of their recovery – which will include new models – as former PSA president Jean-Marc Gales is appointed as Lotus CEO to work with Aslam Farikullah.

Gales was president of PSA from 2009-2012 and oversaw the introduction of the successful DS range for Citroen, before which his career included senior position at Daimler, GM and VW.

Proton CEO, Dato’ Abdul Harith Abdullah, said:

This is an exciting time for Lotus, and Jean-Marc’s appointment could not have come at a more appropriate time, especially taking into account our plans for Lotus.

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.

Let’s just hope Gales can make the new Lotus Esprit come to life.