19 Ralph Gilles on Automobile Design, Human Connection and the Future of Cars

As Global Head of Design at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ralph Gilles meticulously approves the look and feel of every new Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, Fiat, Alpha Romeo, and Maserati produced. His astonishing success is the product of an early, unwavering passion for beautifully designed cars and an outsized talent for sketching them. Gilles’ determination propelled him through his undergraduate degree at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, and led him to earn his Executive MBA from Michigan State University.
Gilles’ natural humility along with his commitment to hard work and design excellence guide his oversight of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ entire brand portfolio toward an aesthetic that’s both accessible and aspirational. During his tenure, Gilles has been instrumental in the design of some very successful models including the Chrysler 300, SRT Viper, and the Dodge Ram.
In this episode, Ralph Gilles and ArtCenter President Lorne Buchman discuss Gilles’ career trajectory at Chrysler, designing cars with human characteristics and his vision for the future of automobiles.
Learn more about Ralph's work: 
https://www.fcagroup.com/en-US/group/governance/management/Pages/ralph_gilles.aspx
Learn more about this episode of Change Lab at www.artcenter.edu.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Global Head of Design at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ralph Gilles meticulously approves the look and feel of every new Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, Fiat, Alpha Romeo, and Maserati produced. His astonishing success is the product of an early, unwavering passion for beautifully designed cars and an outsized talent for sketching them. Gilles’ determination propelled him through his undergraduate degree at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, and led him to earn his Executive MBA from Michigan State University.

Gilles’ natural humility along with his commitment to hard work and design excellence guide his oversight of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ entire brand portfolio toward an aesthetic that’s both accessible and aspirational. During his tenure, Gilles has been instrumental in the design of some very successful models including the Chrysler 300, SRT Viper, and the Dodge Ram.

In this episode, Ralph Gilles and ArtCenter President Lorne Buchman discuss Gilles’ career trajectory at Chrysler, designing cars with human characteristics and his vision for the future of automobiles.

Learn more about Ralph's work: 

Learn more about this episode of Change Lab at www.artcenter.edu.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices