Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has appointed PB Balaji as its Chief Executive Officer, making him the first Indian to hold the top role at the prestigious British company.

After 35 years with JLR, including three years as CEO, Adrian Mardell has announced his intention to retire, with Balaji set to take over. Tata Motors, which owns the British brand, said in a regulatory filing that Balaji, currently the Group Chief Financial Officer of the Tata Group, will assume the role of JLR CEO from November this year.

At its meeting on August 4, the JLR Board of Directors approved Balaji’s appointment to succeed Mardell. The filing also noted that Mardell will continue to support and assist with the transition until the conclusion of his contract.

“It is my privilege to lead this incredible company. Over the past eight years, I have grown to know and love this company and its redoubtable global brands. I look forward to working with the team to take it to even greater heights,” Balaji said.

A respected business leader with 32 years of experience in finance and supply chain roles across the automotive and consumer goods industries, Balaji has served as Group CFO of Tata Motors since November 2017.

According to a PTI report, he has played a key role in the successful transformation of Tata Motors and has led large, multicultural teams in Mumbai, London, Singapore, and Switzerland. He holds a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Chennai and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from IIM.