High-profile automotive designer J Mays has joined Whirlpool Corporation as Vice President and Chief Design Officer, with his new roles effective October 15th, 2018. Mays is noted for his concept and design work for Audi, Volkswagen, BMW and Ford Motor Company, and has served in multiple consulting and advisory roles, including in film.
“Whirlpool Corporation is committed to an approach, philosophy, and vision of being a global leader in design,” says Marc Bitzer, CEO of Whirlpool Corporation. “This is a fantastic opportunity to bring J’s leadership to our accomplished teams to help them set the design direction of our product portfolio around the world.”
In his new roles, Mays will both own and lead Whirlpool’s design strategy across all product platforms and categories, including both product and user experience design. According to Whirlpool, he will translate his interpretations of consumer insights, needs, and wants, as well as the latest and most influential trends, into new product design concepts.
“Throughout my career, I’ve learned the importance of finding an emotional connection with the customer,” Mays says. “My interests extend far beyond automobile design, and that’s why this opportunity caught my eye. I look forward to leading and collaborating with the already strong Whirlpool Global Consumer Design team. The team has a wealth of talent, is vibrant and passionate, and a driving force behind creating customer interest, desire, and satisfaction.”
Before he joined Whirlpool, Mays served as group vice president of global design and chief creative officer at Ford Motor Company. He is also a visiting professor at the Royal College of Art in London.
