Rick Kewley has been named as the new executive chief engineer at GM Defense, a subsidiary of General Motors. He will head up all aspects of engineering and program execution, leveraging the company’s core capabilities in integrated vehicles, power and propulsion, mobility and autonomy.
A former US Army officer, Kewley has 27 years’ experience in engineering and product development at GM. Most recently he was executive director of global product development quality, a role in which he championed engineering and product development quality strategies, strengthening customer satisfaction and reliability results across GM’s global vehicle portfolio.
“Rick’s ability to bridge GM’s best-in-class commercial capabilities with GM Defense’s mission to influence the future of military mobility is the perfect complement. Rick is a proven leader, bringing a deep understanding of complex vehicle system integration and critical technical acumen. He will be an asset to our growing team and a trusted partner to our military and government customers,” said Tim Herrick, interim president of GM Defense.
“I’m honored to lead product development efforts at GM Defense and am convinced that GM’s proven product and manufacturing capabilities offer an unmistakable advantage to the warfighter. As an Army veteran myself, I understand the value that technology and cutting-edge capability can offer to our military and government customers alike,” Kewley commented.
Kewley’s engineering setup will continue to progress the development of the Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) – a light and agile all-terrain troop carrier designed to transport a nine-soldier infantry squad and their equipment across the battlefield. GM Defense was awarded the contract in June 2020.