Chinese Geely has hired former Bentley design director Stefan Sielaff, who has been hired as vice president of global design and will work at the concern's studio in Gothenburg, Sweden. Zilaff, along with a team of subordinates, will develop the style for the new generation of Geely, Zeekr, Lynk & Co and Geometry vehicles. However, it will not affect the appearance of Volvo Cars and Polestar, which are also part of Geely.
Geely specifically hires international-level specialists, Europeans by origin, to the staff of the design division. The goal is to give your cars a modern and recognizable look.
Zilaff is from Germany, he is 59 years old. He started working in the automotive industry immediately after high school, in 1984, at Audi. In the mid-80s he won a grant to study at the Royal College of Art (RCA), UK, and became a master of industrial design. At Audi in 1997, he rose to the position of chief interior designer, in 2003 he moved to work at DaimlerChrysler, was responsible for interiors in a studio in Sindelfingen, in 2006 he returned to Audi, but already to the post of chief designer. From 2012-2015, Zilaff worked as Design Director at Volkswagen Advanced Products Studio, and from 2015 to 2021 as Design Director at Bentley.
Zilaff has a huge work experience behind him, under his leadership the style of such cars as the Audi A1, Audi A7, third generation Bentley Continental GT was created.
Geely's former head of global design, Peter Horbury, has been promoted to senior vice president of design at British sports car manufacturer Lotus Cars (also part of Geely). Horbury is 71 and has been with Geely for 10 years.
The look of the new Geely will develop a former designer Bentley
