Patrick Le Quement
Areas of Interest
Science and Technology, Alumni, InternationalHonorary Award
Honorary Doctor of Technology, 2012Biography
Patrick le Quément is an automotive designer of international renown, Knight of the French Ordre National de la Legion d'Honneur and eminent Anglia Ruskin alumnus.
While working for Ford in 1969, as part of an initiative to enhance the commercial abilities of their talented young designer, Ford sent Patrick back to the UK to study for an MBA with the Anglia Ruskin Business School, based at our Danbury Management Centre. It proved to be a very good move both for employer and employee and over the 17 years that Patrick remained with Ford, he worked on a series of projects that produced intelligently designed and commercially successful vehicles. Innovative projects like the Cargo truck broke new ground in terms of vehicle design and the hugely successful Ford Sierra was to prove a landmark in automotive history.
Patrick joined Renault's Design Department in 1987. Renault CEO Raymond Levy made Patrick the first automotive designer to report directly to a president of an automotive group, not just at Renault, but in the automotive industry as a whole. Over the following 22 years, Patrick managed the development of the Twingo, Laguna, Scenic, and more recently the stand-out designs of the Clio and Megane, along the way, helping Renault build their reputation for innovation and quality that the company enjoys today.
Patrick's designs have won untold awards around the world, but he has received two personal awards that deserve special mention - the French Grand Prix National for Industrial Design, and the award of Knight of the Ordre National de la Légion d'Honneur.
Citation
Patrick le Quément is an automotive designer of international renown, Knight of the French Ordre National de la Legion d'Honneur and eminent Anglia Ruskin alumnus.
Born in Marseille in 1945, Patrick moved to the UK at the age of twelve. He went on to study at the Birmingham Institute of Art & Design and graduated in 1966 with a BA in Product Design Engineering. After graduating, Patrick returned to France to become an automotive designer with French car manufacturer Simca, leaving just a year later to start up design company Style International, along with business partner John Pinko. But their timing was unfortunate and the venture didn't survive the unrest of May 1968 and the recession that followed.
He returned to the automobile industry working with Ford and in 1969, as part of an initiative to enhance the commercial abilities of their talented young designer, Ford sent Patrick back to the UK to study for an MBA with the Anglia Ruskin Business School, based at our Danbury Management Centre. It proved to be a very good move both for employer and employee and over the 17 years that Patrick remained with Ford, he worked on a series of projects that produced intelligently designed and commercially successful vehicles.
It was during this time that Patrick first began to draw the attention of the international design community. Innovative projects like the Cargo truck broke new ground in terms of vehicle design and the hugely successful Ford Sierra was to prove a landmark in automotive history. Yet it was in his next role that Patrick would have greatest impact - at Renault.
When Patrick joined Renault in 1987 he demanded that the Design Department should be made an independent division, separate from Engineering and that the number of design staff be doubled. The new Design Division would report to "La direction Générale" which means senior management, and in this case Patrick would report directly to the Executive Vice President of the Product Development Group rather than just Engineering. Renault CEO Raymond Levy agreed to the demands and made Patrick the first automotive designer to report directly to a president of an automotive group, not just at Renault, but in the automotive industry as a whole. This was to prove a very astute decision; over the following 22 years, Patrick managed the development of the Twingo, Laguna, Scenic, and more recently the stand-out designs of the Clio and Megane, along the way, helping Renault build their reputation for innovation and quality that the company enjoys today.
In 1995 Patrick was appointed a Senior Vice President of Group Quality whilst retaining Corporate Design and it was at this time that he became a board member. Patrick held this dual role for 4 years and believes it was thanks to what he had learned, many years before at Danbury, that he was able to take charge of the world wide quality group, which had a staff of 6000! Patrick remained on the board of directors for 14 years between 1995 and 2009. In France and in the rest of the world it was the first time that an automotive designer was appointed to a board of directors.
Patrick's designs have won untold awards around the world, but he has received two personal awards that deserve special mention - the French Grand Prix National for Industrial Design, and the award of Knight of the Ordre National de la Légion d'Honneur.
In 2002 Patrick was voted European Car Designer of the Year and was awarded the Lucky Strike Designer Award by the Raymond Loewy Foundation in recognition of his lifetime contribution to design. In 2004 he was named Personality of the Decade by Car and Driver magazine.
The car has a unique place in Western society and culture and Patrick is one of just a handful of designers who have been able to stamp their own personality on the vehicles they produce, creating innovative and beautiful cars that are enjoyed by millions of drivers around the world.
As an alumnus of Anglia Ruskin University and an internationally recognised leader in his field, Patrick is an outstanding role model for our students.
Vice Chancellor, it is my pleasure to present Patrick le Quément for the award of Doctor of Technology, honoris causa."