The timing of the release of the Citroën 2CV Concept sketches on October 29 is interesting in that Pierre Leclercq who was Head of Design for the new 2CV has been reassigned within Stellantis.
Effective November 2, 2026, Sandeep Bhambra is appointed Head of Design for the Citroën and DS Automobiles brands.
He succeeds Pierre Leclercq at Citroën and Thierry Metroz at DS Automobiles, respectively. He will report to Gilles Vidal, Head of Design for Stellantis’ European brands, and will join the leadership teams of Citroën and DS Automobiles, under the leadership of Xavier Chardon, CEO of both brands.
Pierre Leclercq is appointed Head of Design for Opel and Vauxhall. He succeeds Mark Adams. He will report to Gilles Vidal and join the Executive Committee under the responsibility of Florian Huettl, CEO of Opel & Vauxhall.
Mark Adams will retire, after nearly 25 years with Opel and Vauxhall.
Thierry Metroz, who was Head of Design in DS Automobiles, will support Gilles Vidal on Design strategy for Europe.
Xavier Chardon, CEO of Citroën stated;
“The arrival of Sandeep Bhambra marks a new step in our ambition to strengthen the identity and appeal of our brands. His experience, creativity and vision of Design will be valuable assets in supporting Citroën and DS Automobiles in expressing strong and distinctive identities, true to their heritage while firmly looking to the future.“
“I would also like to thank Pierre Leclercq for his work and contribution to Citroën. His talent and vision have helped shape several key projects and reinforce the brand’s distinctive character. I wish him every success in his new role at Opel.”
Gilles Vidal, Head of Design, Stellantis European Brands added:
“I am particularly pleased to entrust Sandeep with the responsibility for the Design of Citroën and DS Automobiles. His background, combining creativity, strong product expertise and a strategic vision of Design, will be a major asset in supporting the ambitions and transformation of both brands.
I would also like to warmly thank Pierre Leclercq for his commitment and contribution to the development of Citroën Design, and wish him every success in his new role leading Design at Opel.
Finally, I would like to thank Thierry Metroz for his talent, passion and contribution to DS Automobiles Design. His experience and vision will be invaluable in his new role,”
A graduate in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pune, India, and holder of a Master’s degree in Transportation Design from Strate, France, Sandeep Bhambra began his career in the automotive industry in 2003 at Mahindra & Mahindra in India. He subsequently pursued his career in Design, notably at Tata Technologies and Tata Motors, in India and the United Kingdom.
In 2010, he joined Peugeot Design in Vélizy as an Exterior Designer. Over more than ten years, he contributed to the development of numerous production vehicles, concept cars and Advanced Design projects, including the second-generation Peugeot 2008 and 5008, the Onyx concept, upstream development work for the third-generation 3008, as well as the Citroën Ami.
In 2021, he joined Renault Group as Chief Designer, Advanced Design & Concept Cars. He contributed to defining Renault’s Design strategy and led numerous concept car and Advanced Design projects, including Scénic Vision, Emblème, R17 Ora Ito, Estafette Concept, Twingo 4, Filante Record 2025, Bridger, R-Space Lab and the R5 Turbo 3E limited-series project. In 2025, he took responsibility for the Renault India Design Studio, while retaining his role as Chief Designer, Advanced Design & Concept Cars.
His work has received several awards, including a Red Dot Design Award for the Peugeot 2008 in 2020, as well as multiple awards for the Peugeot Onyx concept, the Renault R5 Turbo 3E and Twingo 4.
Since April 2026, Sandeep Bhambra has been Vice President Design Strategy Europe at Stellantis.