JLR CEO Adrian Mardell to Retire After 35 Years

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has announced that CEO Adrian Mardell will retire after three years at the helm and a total of 35 years with the company. Mardell, who officially became CEO in 2023 after serving as interim chief executive and previously as chief financial officer, had originally committed to a three-year term, according to the company.

“Adrian Mardell has expressed his desire to retire from JLR after three years as CEO and 35 years with the company. His successor will be announced in due course,” JLR said in a statement.

During his tenure, Mardell led a major rebranding of Jaguar, guided the company to record operational performance, and implemented significant structural and financial reforms. Under his leadership, JLR posted its highest profit in a decade and eliminated £5 billion (US$6.6 billion) in debt.

JLR, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Motors, had reported strong growth before facing recent market pressures. Its performance in 2024 was affected by both external trade measures and internal restructuring. In April, the company temporarily suspended exports to the United States—one of its largest markets—after President Donald Trump imposed a 25% tariff on all imported vehicles. Exports resumed in May.

The United States accounts for nearly 25% of JLR’s global sales, particularly for its high-margin Range Rover and Land Rover Defender models. Range Rovers, manufactured in the UK, are now subject to a 10% tariff, while Defenders, built in Slovakia, are taxed at 15%. JLR currently has no manufacturing operations in the United States.

To mitigate the impact of the new tariffs, the UK government negotiated a trade arrangement with the United States, reducing duties from 27.5% to 10% on the first 100,000 UK-made vehicles exported. Mardell appeared alongside UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer at a JLR plant in England to announce the agreement.

Despite the deal, JLR reported a 15% drop in overall sales during the April–June quarter, largely due to the discontinuation of older Jaguar models and the temporary pause in US exports. The company is currently transitioning to electric vehicles and has ended production of most of its petrol-powered Jaguar models. New Jaguar sales in the UK have also been suspended as the brand prepares for a 2026 relaunch as an all-electric, ultra-premium marque, with prices expected to start above £100,000.

Mardell also oversaw a widely discussed rebranding campaign for Jaguar, which included a 30-second advertisement that featured no vehicles and unveiled a new logo that omitted the iconic leaping jaguar icon.