Phillip A. Zak new Director Exterior Design, GM Europe / Friedhelm Engler new Director of PATAC Design, China

Phillip A. Zak (42) has been appointed Director Exterior Design for GM Europe as of August 1. He will head the exterior design of the Opel, Vauxhall and Saab brands as well as the design of certain Saturn products for North America. Zak succeeds Mark Adams, who was named Vice President of Design for GM Europe on June 1, 2007.

Zak graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 1988 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts with a major in Industrial Design. He earned a Gund Traveling Scholarship which is the highest award given to a graduate. Among others Zak was part of the Saturn Prevue Concept program as well as being responsible for the Pontiac G6 sedan design direction, Pontiac GXP Performance line and other Pontiac concepts vehicles like the REV.      

“The two appointments clearly demonstrate our global approach at GM Design. In our eleven design studios around the world we continuously challenge our selves to create high quality brand focused designs” says Mark Adams, Vice President of Design for GM Europe.

In 2006, GME greatly expanded its design operations in a new, world-class facility in Rüsselsheim which houses more than 350 design specialists from advanced and production design, while also providing a direct link and increased synergies between advanced engineering, product planning and the brands.

Friedrich Engler

Friedhelm Engler (43) has been appointed Director of Design for the Pan Asian Technical Automotive Center (PATAC), based in Shanghai, China. Effective August 1, he is responsible for all design related activities of this 50-50 joint venture between General Motors and the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. Group (SAIC).

After graduating from the Pforzheim Institute of Design Engler spent three years in Japan as a product-designer developing designs for the European and Asian market. In 1992 he joined GM and since then has worked in several senior positions. In 2000 Engler was appointed Chief Designer for compact cars. Among several others, key Models that Engler led the design of include the latest generation of Opel/Vauxhall Astra Models, the Opel/Vauxhall Meriva and before that the third generation of the Opel/Vauxhall Corsa.