Well-known automotive designer Kevin Rice is to join Italian design house Pininfarina SpA as Chief Creative Officer, reporting directly to CEO Silvio Pietro Angori.
Kevin will be the creative and strategic guide at Group level on all aspects of Design (Mobility, Industrial & Experience Design, Architecture) with direct responsibility for the Mobility Design Business Unit.
Fifty-six-year old Kevin graduated from Coventry University, UK and has been working as an automotive designer since 1986. His creative journey has taken him to Japan, Italy, Germany and his native England. He started his long and distinguished international career in design as junior designer in Germany and then in Italy, where he got accustomed to Italian design. Then he moved to Mazda and BMW, where he was responsible for the management of a number of different projects.
Back at Mazda, he enjoyed for 5 years the challenge to help define Mazda’s future design direction. His design adventure continued in China with a completely new kind of challenge as Vice-President and Global Head of Design of Chery International.
During his career, he has designed and managed the development of a number of bestseller vehicles. Among other recognitions, he won the red Dot Award for the Mazda Mx5 in 2016 and, with his team, the 'Best Concept Car of the Year' during the Geneva Motor Show in 2018.
Kevin joins a team featuring stylists and designers with rare and valuable skills, thus perpetuating the long-term Pininfarina strategy aimed at maintaining its global leadership position in design.