Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has announced the appointment of Mr P.B. Balaji as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective November 2025. Mr Balaji will succeed Adrian Mardell, who is set to retire after three years at the helm and a distinguished 35-year career with the company.
The leadership transition follows a comprehensive search conducted by the JLR Board over recent months. Mr Balaji, currently serving as Group Chief Financial Officer at Tata Motors Group, brings over three decades of global experience in the automotive and consumer goods sectors.
Mr N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Jaguar Land Rover PLC, Tata Motors, and Tata Sons, thanked Mr Mardell for his leadership, stating: “I would like to thank Adrian for the stellar turnaround of JLR and for delivering record results. I am delighted to appoint Balaji as the incoming CEO of the company. The search for a suitable candidate to lead JLR has been undertaken by the Board for the past few months and after careful consideration it was decided to appoint Balaji. He has been associated with the Company for the past many years and is familiar with the Company, its strategy and has been working with the JLR leadership team. This move will ensure that we continue to accelerate our journey to Reimagine JLR.”
Reflecting on his time as CEO, Mr Mardell said: “These three years have been a great privilege. Together with the incredible JLR workforce, we have cemented JLR’s position in the automotive industry during a time of incredible change. I would like to thank everyone in JLR and the extended Tata Group, and wish Balaji every success in his new role.”
Mr Balaji, who has been closely involved with JLR’s strategic initiatives during his tenure at Tata Motors, expressed his enthusiasm for the new role: “It is my privilege to lead this incredible company. Over the past 8 years I have grown to know and love this company and its redoubtable global brands. I look forward to working with the team to take it to even greater heights. I thank Adrian for his immense contributions and wish him well for his next innings.”
Mr Balaji has been Group CFO of Tata Motors Group since November 2017, playing a pivotal role in the company’s financial transformation. With 32 years of experience spanning the automotive and consumer goods sectors, he has held leadership positions across finance and supply chain functions, managing large global teams from locations including Mumbai, London, Singapore, and Switzerland. An alumnus of IIT-Chennai (B.Tech, Mechanical Engineering) and IIM-Kolkata (Post Graduate Diploma in Management), Mr Balaji is recognised for his strategic leadership and operational expertise, having been deeply involved in Tata Motors Group’s ongoing transformation.
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