He has over 22 years of experience in the European auto industry, most of which was at BMW where his last appointment was vice president, Land Rover. Later he was director – production, quality and product planning at Ford. Since then he has been with the Linde Group, where he was the head of global operations, reporting to the chairman.

Ravi Kant, vice chairman, Tata Motors, said of the appointment: 'The introduction of Ralf Speth into Jaguar Land Rover under the guidance of Carl-Peter Forster will considerably strengthen the management of the company and enhance the position and reputation of the two iconic brands in line with the long-term strategy of the company.'