Jaguar CEO Adrian Mardell to retire after 3 decades amid tariff heat and sales collapse

Adrian Mardell, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), is stepping down after a 35-year career at the company and three years in the top role. His exit comes amid rising US tariffs and the lingering controversy over Jaguar’s radical rebranding effort.

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

Mardell, who became CEO in November 2022 after serving as CFO, led JLR through a crucial transformation — sharpening its luxury positioning and returning the company to profitability. Under his leadership, the carmaker also deleveraged significantly after years of financial strain.

However, his tenure was also defined by the highly divisive “Panthera” rebranding of Jaguar, launched in November 2024. The initiative dropped the brand’s iconic “growler” logo in favor of a minimalist “J” and provocative slogans like “Copy Nothing,” presented through car-free, fashion-style ads.

The campaign drew backlash online — including criticism from Elon Musk — and triggered internal friction. A leaked letter from Jaguar’s design team slammed the new identity as generic and disconnected from the brand’s heritage.

The fallout was stark: Jaguar’s European registrations plunged by about 97.5% in April 2025 compared to the previous year, and global sales crumbled as older combustion models were retired and new EVs faced delays.

Industry-wide, automakers have faced mounting pressure, with sales slumping in China, weak EV demand in Europe, and policy volatility in the US. JLR, which doesn’t manufacture in the US, held back on issuing profit guidance amid tariff-related uncertainty.

Despite the headwinds, Mardell’s financial turnaround of JLR was widely acknowledged. Yet, the “Panthera” campaign’s failure dented his legacy.

JLR is owned by India’s Tata Motors Ltd.

A JLR spokesperson told Business Today, "Jaguar’s transformation towards a new portfolio of pure-electric vehicles was announced as part of the Reimagine strategy in 2021. JLR always envisaged a period when the current range would ‘not be on sale’ before the introduction of the new Jaguar collection. Production of XE, XF, F-TYPE, I-PACE and E-PACE all came to an end in 2024 as part of that transition. This strategic ‘sunset’ of the product range is going to plan and will allow Jaguar to transform and reposition the brand for the future. Comparing Jaguar sales to 2024 is pointless as we are no longer producing vehicles in 2025 with low levels of retail inventory available. Jaguar’s rebranding is not related to a sales decline."