Louise Reynolds is responsible for all cross-car-line vehicle technologies, including electrical architecture, autonomous driving and propulsion systems, a new role created in response to the increasing complexity and investment requirements in the automotive industry. Reynolds took up the post September 2021, becoming the first female vehicle line director in JLR. Previously she was global purchasing director for electrical parts, another big role where she led a team of 80. Reynolds moved to that position in 2017 having joined JLR in 2013 as purchasing manager sourcing interior parts, including seating and instrument panels. Reynolds moved to the company from construction firm Balfour Beatty, which she’d joined after leaving Tata Steel, her employer for 11 years following her graduation from Durham University in 2000 with a BSc in physics.