Ralph Gilles
Encyclopedia
Ralph V. Gilles, born on January 14, 1970 in New York City
, is a Haitian-Can-American automobile
designer.
Gilles is currently the President and CEO of the SRT Brand and Senior Vice President of Design at Chrysler Group LLC. He styled the 2005 Chrysler 300
— after joining Chrysler in 1992.
Gilles has been passionate about cars since the age of 6 and began drawing concept vehicles by the age of 8. When Gilles was 14, an aunt (Giselle Mouscardy) noticed he was talented at sketching cars and wrote to former Chrysler Chairman Lee Iacocca
to inform him of her nephew's talents. A reply came from K. Neil Walling, Chrysler's design chief at the time, suggesting Gilles attend one of three design schools. He attended the College for Creative Studies
in Detroit, Michigan. In 2002, Gilles received an Executive MBA from Michigan State University
. In August, 2008, Gilles replaced the now retired Trevor Creed as Senior Vice President of Design. In October 2009, Gilles was promoted to President and CEO of the Dodge Car Brand http://www.chryslergroupllc.com/company/team. He was replaced as Dodge's CEO in June 2011, remaining Senior Vice President of Design and becoming CEO of Chrysler's Street and Racing Technology
division.
Gilles is extremely active inside and outside of Chrysler Group LLC. He serves as the executive sponsor of the Chrysler African American Network (CAAN) in addition to playing a leading role with The Chrysler Global Diversity Council. He also serves on the boards of The Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills, Mich. and The Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital Regional Medical Center in Pontiac, Mich. At his alma mater, The College for Creative Studies (CCS) in Detroit, Gilles serves on The advisory board of The School of Industrial Design and on The CCS Capital Committee.
An avid car enthusiast who enjoys spending time at the track, go-karting and watching Formula One
auto racing, Gilles has participated in the Targa Newfoundland Rally and the Car and Driver One Lap of America. In addition, he has frequently served as a judge at Pebble Beach, Meadow Brook, and Cranbrook Concours events, along with the EyesOn Design
car show.
Gilles has earned numerous academic and industry awards, including: The Michigan State University Eli Broad Graduate School of Management Young Alumni Achievement Award, The Automotive Hall of Fame Young Leadership & Excellence Award, NV Magazine Innovation Award, Black Engineer of the Year President’s Award and N’Digo Foundation N’Design Award.
He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Michigan State University (2002) and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in industrial design from CCS (1992).
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, is a Haitian-Can-American automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
designer.
Gilles is currently the President and CEO of the SRT Brand and Senior Vice President of Design at Chrysler Group LLC. He styled the 2005 Chrysler 300
Chrysler 300
The Chrysler 300 is a full-size upscale car first shown at the 2003 New York Auto Show as a concept car. Sales in the U.S. began in the spring of 2004 as an early 2005 model year car. Designed by Ralph Gilles, the new 300 was built as a high-end sedan while the SRT-8 model was designed to be the...
— after joining Chrysler in 1992.
Gilles has been passionate about cars since the age of 6 and began drawing concept vehicles by the age of 8. When Gilles was 14, an aunt (Giselle Mouscardy) noticed he was talented at sketching cars and wrote to former Chrysler Chairman Lee Iacocca
Lee Iacocca
Lido Anthony "Lee" Iacocca is an American businessman known for engineering the Mustang, the unsuccessful Ford Pinto, being fired from Ford Motor Company, and his revival of the Chrysler Corporation in the 1980s...
to inform him of her nephew's talents. A reply came from K. Neil Walling, Chrysler's design chief at the time, suggesting Gilles attend one of three design schools. He attended the College for Creative Studies
College for Creative Studies
College for Creative Studies is an art education institution in the United States and was cited by BusinessWeek as one of the 60 best design schools in the world. It is a private, fully accredited, four-year college located in Detroit, Michigan...
in Detroit, Michigan. In 2002, Gilles received an Executive MBA from Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
. In August, 2008, Gilles replaced the now retired Trevor Creed as Senior Vice President of Design. In October 2009, Gilles was promoted to President and CEO of the Dodge Car Brand http://www.chryslergroupllc.com/company/team. He was replaced as Dodge's CEO in June 2011, remaining Senior Vice President of Design and becoming CEO of Chrysler's Street and Racing Technology
Street and Racing Technology
Street & Racing Technology is a high-performance automobile group within Chrysler LLC. SRT began as "Team Viper" to develop the Dodge Viper. It later merged with "Team Prowler", the developers of the Plymouth Prowler, to become Specialty Vehicle Engineering . This was renamed Performance Vehicle...
division.
Gilles is extremely active inside and outside of Chrysler Group LLC. He serves as the executive sponsor of the Chrysler African American Network (CAAN) in addition to playing a leading role with The Chrysler Global Diversity Council. He also serves on the boards of The Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills, Mich. and The Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital Regional Medical Center in Pontiac, Mich. At his alma mater, The College for Creative Studies (CCS) in Detroit, Gilles serves on The advisory board of The School of Industrial Design and on The CCS Capital Committee.
An avid car enthusiast who enjoys spending time at the track, go-karting and watching Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
auto racing, Gilles has participated in the Targa Newfoundland Rally and the Car and Driver One Lap of America. In addition, he has frequently served as a judge at Pebble Beach, Meadow Brook, and Cranbrook Concours events, along with the EyesOn Design
EyesOn Design
EyesOn Design are a series of events including an annual car show and a fundraiser for the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology. It has become a national event focused on the emotion and character of automotive design.- History :...
car show.
Gilles has earned numerous academic and industry awards, including: The Michigan State University Eli Broad Graduate School of Management Young Alumni Achievement Award, The Automotive Hall of Fame Young Leadership & Excellence Award, NV Magazine Innovation Award, Black Engineer of the Year President’s Award and N’Digo Foundation N’Design Award.
He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Michigan State University (2002) and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in industrial design from CCS (1992).