Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE) has appointed Jean-Marc Gales as Chairman of the Board. Gales will work closely with the WAE board and CEO Craig Wilson, who has led WAE for seven years, to develop the future direction and growth of this automotive technology and engineering business.
Gales is an engineer by profession, with an MBA from Imperial College, London. In his 30-year career in the automotive industry, Gales has led the turnaround of Lotus as CEO and was a former CEO of Peugeot and Citroen. He also held senior executive positions at Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen. He was CEO of CLEPA, the European Association of Automotive Suppliers, and has been a senior advisor to Geely.
In addition to his new role at Geely, he is a non-executive Director of EuroGroup (a supplier of rotors and stators for electric motors), LuxProvide (which installs and operates the Luxembourg super computer), and is a member of the International Advisory Board of the Tikehau Capital T2 Energy Transition Fund.
Jean-Marc Gales commented, “I have long admired Williams Advanced Engineering and the unique expertise in efficient electrification that it delivers for its clients. The business has built a strong platform and now, with the new ownership structure and support of EMK Capital, I look forward to working closely with the Board and Craig to develop the full potential of this great business.”
