In July 2012 General Motors Advanced Studio will cut the ribbon on their new Shanghai design facility, which will be headed up by Wulin Gaowa (pictured above). Gaowa is GM's first female design studio chief, having been appointed Design Director of GM China Advanced Studio in September of this year.
A press release from this morning features a Q&A with Gaowa, who previously worked for the Mercedes-Benz Technology Center in Germany and Italdesign Giugiaro in Italy, on the new facility. Here's an excerpt on the "crewing up" process:
Q: How is it going with the hiring process? What kind of talents are you seeking to hire for the Advanced Design Studio?A: We have found some qualified candidates here in China. We're looking for people that have a passion and superior talent in the area of car design, and are willing to challenge the status quo. Hiring locally is important for us as the designers' Chinese cultural background will help us better understand how to design mobile products that meet the needs of our customers in China. Overseas experience will be a plus and good support to achieve global standard.
I've been visiting design universities and colleges all over China and the U.S. since I arrived in September, looking for designers who will fit into our organization. I've been to Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Detroit and Los Angeles so far....
Read the rest here.