Exclusive: Lotus to name China boss as replacement for Matt Windle

Lotus is promoting Chinese executive Mao Jingbo to oversee UK and global operations after current Lotus Europe head Matt Windle was let go by the company, sources have told Autocar. Windle is leaving after just four months as Lotus Europe CEO, a source told Autocar. Windle’s departure comes after Autocar reported that Lotus was considering moving sports car manufacturing out of the UK amid a wider cost-cutting drive aimed at overturning persistent losses. The proposals included moving manufacturing from its historic base in Hethel, Norfolk, after holding talks with the Labour government. Windle’s job will be taken over by Mao, two sources told Autocar. Mao joined Lotus in 2022 as president of China operations after moving from Lincoln, where she was head of Asia Pacific and China for the US premium brand. Prior to that, she was head of marketing in China for Mercedes-Benz after building a career in journalism. Lotus has yet to confirm the news and declined to give Autocar a comment. Mao (below) will become the fourth executive in under two years with oversight of Lotus’s UK and wider European operations. Windle took over from Dan Balmer in April after the former Aston Martin executive stayed less than a year in the role. His predecessor, former Volvo executive Mike Johnstone, left in August 2024. Windle joined Lotus in 2017 as head of body engineering and rose to oversee production at Hethel before taking on the Europe CEO role. Lotus’s decision to appoint a company insider close to CEO Feng Qingfeng to a key European and global role indicates the company wants to keep a tighter rein on its global operations. Lotus has been scrambled to reduce costs in the UK. In April, the company laid off 270 workers at Hethel and is shifting staff out of London offices, according to one source. The brand’s flagship store on Park Lane in central London has been transferred to dealer group HR Owen. Lotus sales fell 42% in the first quarter of the year, marking the first significant decline since Geely rolled out a new range of electric ‘lifestyle’ vehicles, including the Eletre SUV and Emeya saloon. The Geely-owned company’s strategy was to go all-electric by 2027 using its Wuhan, China, production base for non-sports car models. However, it has been hit hard by muted demand for electric cars in the luxury segment as well as increased tariffs on Chinese-built EVs in both Europe and the US. Lotus is now developing plug-in hybrid versions of its models and the first is due to be unveiled later this year. Geely bought the brand in 2017 from Malaysia’s Proton but has yet to see a return on its £2 billion investment. Lotus posted a net loss of $183 million (£137m) for the first quarter of this year while debts increased to $3.3bn (£2.5bn).

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Exclusive: Lotus to name China boss as replacement for Matt Windle

Company's Chinese HQ takes a tighter rein as Europe boss Matt Windle steps down after four months

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