Tata Motors has announced a major leadership shift at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), naming P.B. Balaji as the new Chief Executive Officer. He will take over in November 2025, succeeding Adrian Mardell, who retires after a 35-year career at the company.
Balaji’s appointment was approved by JLR’s Board of Directors and disclosed in a regulatory filing by Tata Motors. Mardell will stay on until December to support the transition.
N Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons, Tata Motors, and JLR, credited Mardell with steering JLR’s turnaround, saying, “I would like to thank Adrian for the stellar turnaround of JLR and for delivering record results. Balaji’s familiarity with JLR’s strategy and leadership team will ensure continuity as we accelerate our journey to reimagine JLR.”
Balaji, currently the Group CFO at Tata Motors, has been with the company since 2017. He brings over three decades of global experience across finance and supply chain in the automotive and consumer sectors. He holds a B.Tech from IIT-Chennai and a PGDM from IIM-Kolkata.
Mardell, who became CEO in 2022 after serving as CFO, led JLR through a transformative phase—tightening its focus on luxury, restoring profitability, and reducing debt. Despite these successes, his time at the helm was marked by controversy over the “Panthera” rebranding of Jaguar, which replaced the iconic growler logo with a minimalist “J” and avant-garde slogans like “Copy Nothing.”
Reflecting on his tenure, Mardell said, “It has been a great privilege to lead JLR. Together, we have strengthened the company during a time of incredible change.” Balaji added, “It is my privilege to lead this incredible company. I look forward to working with the team to take it to even greater heights.”
