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Ralph Gilles
Vice President – Design

 
Ralph Gilles is Vice President – Design, responsible for all activities of the Product Design Office. Prior to this position he was Vice President -- Jeep®/Truck, Advance Interior and Component Design. Gilles joined Chrysler in 1992 as a Designer. 

 

As Vice President – Jeep/Truck, Advance Interior and Component Design, Gilles oversaw the design of the all-new 2008 Dodge and Chrysler minivans and the 2009 Dodge Ram. Gilles has led the design teams of the award-winning 2005 Chrysler 300C and the 2005 Dodge Charger, Magnum and Viper SRT10 coupe. During his career at Chrysler, Gilles served as the primary interior designer for the, Viper GTS/R, Dodge Intrepid and the Jeep Jeepster concept vehicles; and the production versions of the 2002 Jeep Liberty, 2003 Dodge Viper. Gilles also leads Mopar Underground, a group of enthusiasts that create niche concepts for SEMA and other specialty shows. Gilles sits on Chrysler’s Street & Racing Technology (SRT) Board of Directors and serves as a Team Leader in the company's Leaders of Today & Tomorrow Program.

 

His work and academic background includes:

 

Vice President – Design, Chrysler LLC, 2008
Vice President – Jeep®/Truck and Color and Trim Studios, and Specialty Vehicles, Chrysler Design, 2006
Director– Truck Exterior/Interior Design Studio, Chrysler, 2005
Director – Design Office, Chrysler, 2001
Senior Manager – Design Office, Chrysler, 1999
Manager – Design Office, Chrysler Corporation, 1998
Designer – Design Office, Chrysler Corporation, 1992
Bachelor of Science degree in Transportation Design, Center for Creative Studies, 1992
ƒnMaster's degree in Business Administration, Michigan State University, 2002
Part-time instructor at the Center for Creative Studies, Detroit, Mich.
Gilles’ serves on the Board of Trustees of Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital (POH) Medical Center in Pontiac, Michigan and on the Advisory Board of The School of Industrial Design at his alma mater, The College for Creative Studies (CCS) in Detroit, Michigan, where he also taught Senior Transportation Design from 2003 to 2005. He enjoys amateur racing and has participated in the One Lap of America and Targa Newfoundland Rally.

 

Articles written by Ralph Gilles:

August 5, 2007

Innovate or die

( Ralph, a vice president of design, is speaking today at the Traverse City Management Briefing Seminars on this topic.)

Innovate or die is a very powerful statement, and I believe it’s true. We’ve always...


August 13, 2007

Music to my ears

(Ralph Gilles is a vice president of design at The New Chrysler)

When I was a kid, I lived in an apartment on a busy street. My brother and I would play a game of guessing...


January 14, 2008

Redefining the American Pickup

Ralph Gilles is Vice President—Jeep/Truck Design Studio

The Dodge Ram started something back in the '90s with its high-rise grille and lower lamps. We moved trucks from functional devices to objects of desire. Customers loved its over-the-road...


February 29, 2008

More Challenger, Less Emissions

Ralph Gilles, Chrysler Vice President – Jeep®, Truck, Advance Interior and Component Design, recently spoke to a Canadian audience about the reduced environmental impact of the all-new Dodge Challenger. To make a long story short, there's plenty to be excited about....



November 12, 2008

Mopar at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas


For the Fast and Furious faithful, the Las Vegas strip in November is the place to be. That’s when the annual SEMA, or Specialty Equipment Market Association car part show, is held.

 

Mopar was there...



June 2, 2010

Come Run With Us: The Dodge Races in as Sponsor of ?Rock ?n? Roll Marathon? Events for 2010, 2011

At the Dodge Brand, we like to get into the game. 

That’s why today on “National Running Day,” the Dodge Brand is joining with premier endurance sports media and event platform Competitor Group Inc. (CGI) to sponsor...