Bryan Nesbitt

Bryan Edward Nesbitt is an American automobile designer, widely known as Senior Vice President of Global Design for General Motors Corporation since July 1, 2025 — having succeeded Harley Earl, Bill Mitchell, Irv Rybicki, Chuck Jordan, Wayne Cherry and Ed Welburn and Michael Simcoe.

Previously Nesbitt had held the position of GM's North American Exterior Design and Global Architecture Strategy and had been a designer with Chrysler. Several of his more prominent styling contributions have been to the Chrysler PT Cruiser, the similarly retro Chevrolet HHR, the seventh generation Chevrolet Malibu, and the 1997 Chrysler CCV, which had been conceived as a Chinese people's car with bodywork constructed of recycled plastic bottles.

Background Nesbitt was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and had wanted to be an automobile designer since childhood. He studied Architecture and Industrial Design at the Georgia Institute of Technology and holds a bachelor's degree with Honors in Transportation Design from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.

Speaking of the childhood influences on his design perspective, Nesbitt cited several summer drives across North America in an AMC Gremlin with his mother:

Career

At DaimlerChrysler for seven years,

As one of the youngest GM designers, Nesbitt contributed to the design of the Pontiac Solstice, Pontiac G6 coupe, Cadillac DTS and BLS, Buick Lucerne, Chevrolet Impala, HHR and Cobalt coupe, Saturn Aura and Sky, GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook, and Buick Enclave.

In a 2001 USA Today article, Bob Lutz clarified Nesbitt's role in the Chevrolet HHR design:

In a July 2008 interview for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Nesbitt spoke of his design philosophy at GM:

Nesbitt won an Automotive Hall Of Fame 2002 Young Leadership And Excellence Award while at GM.

In July 2009, Bryan Nesbitt was appointed General Manager of the Cadillac brand, a move that marked a significant transition from his design-focused roles to a broader leadership position within General Motors (GM). In this capacity, Nesbitt was responsible for overseeing Cadillac's global operations, including marketing, sales, and product planning, aiming to revitalize the brand's image and market presence. In March 2010, GM announced a restructuring of its North American operations, leading to Nesbitt's reassignment. He transitioned to the role of Executive Director of the Advanced Concept Group, focusing on innovative design strategies and future vehicle concepts.

In August 2011, Nesbitt was appointed Vice President of Design for GM International Operations (GMIO), based in Shanghai, China. In this role, he served as the lead voice for design in the GMIO region and acted as the brand chairman for Wuling and Baojun, GM's joint venture partners in China.

In March 2022, Bryan Nesbitt was appointed Executive Director of Global Cadillac Design. In this role, he oversaw the brand’s design strategy and development, drawing on his extensive experience at General Motors (GM).