The WORLD CAR FINALS POWERED BY BREMBO has today announced the three contenders for the prestigious 2026 World Car Person of the Year.
In alphabetical order, the contenders are: David Craig, Staff Product Manager, General Motors; Tisha Johnson, Head of Design, Slate; and Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management, BMW.
David Craig, Staff Product Manager, General Motors
At General Motors, David Craig is widely regarded as a “maps guru”, leading one of the most strategically important technology teams inside the company. As Chief of Maps and Staff Product Manager, Craig and his team underpin GM’s Super Cruise system, enabling the hands-free driver assistance technology to operate across around 750,000 miles of mapped roads in the United States and Canada.
Craig joined GM in 2016, initially focusing on high-definition mapping for autonomous driving. He played a central role in setting the strategy, technology sourcing and technical requirements for the maps used across GM’s advanced driver assistance systems. Today, he supports a 90-person team responsible for collecting map data, working with suppliers, defining specifications for Super Cruise expansions and delivering seamless over-the-air map updates across GM’s vehicle range.
The impact is tangible: drivers in North America have now logged more than 700 million hands-free miles using Super Cruise, highlighting Craig’s influence on one of the industry’s most widely deployed advanced driving technologies.
Tisha Johnson, Head of Design, Slate
As Head of Design at Slate, Tisha Johnson is shaping the visual and emotional identity of one of the most exciting and closely watched new players in the electric vehicle space.
With a career rooted in human-centred, emotionally intelligent design, Johnson brings a distinctive blend of artistic sensitivity and real-world usability to Slate’s products. Her work is defined by a belief that vehicles should feel intuitive, inclusive and personal, rather than intimidating or overly technical.
Before joining Slate, Johnson worked for Volvo and globally renowned furniture firm Herman Miller, building a reputation for thoughtful, forward-looking design that prioritised the relationship between people and products.
At Slate, she has been instrumental in establishing a design language that is both modern and approachable, helping the brand stand apart in an increasingly crowded EV market. Johnson’s leadership extends beyond aesthetics, influencing materials, interfaces and user experience to ensure design supports sustainability, accessibility and everyday life. In a period of rapid industry change, her work demonstrates how strong design can help new brands connect meaningfully with customers.
Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management, BMW
Oliver Zipse has led BMW AG as Chairman of the Board of Management since August 2019, guiding one of the world’s most respected premium automotive groups through a period of profound technological and strategic transformation. Zipse joined BMW in 1991 and has spent his entire professional career within the company, gaining deep operational experience across development, production and corporate strategy. His tenure at the top will shortly be drawing to a close, but he will leave having overseen the launch of the BMW Neue Klasse range of vehicles, marking the biggest technical transformation of the brand in its history.
With an academic background spanning computer science, mathematics and mechanical engineering, Zipse is known for combining engineering rigour with long-term strategic thinking. Prior to becoming Chairman, he held senior leadership roles including Head of Production and Managing Director of BMW’s Oxford plant in the UK. Under his leadership, BMW has pursued a technology-open approach to electrification, digitalisation and sustainability, while maintaining a strong focus on brand identity and profitability. Zipse’s steady, engineering-led leadership has helped shape BMW’s direction in a rapidly evolving global automotive landscape.
A jury of 98 distinguished international automotive journalists from 33 countries put forward nominations for the 2026 World Car Person of the Year based on their significant contributions to the global automotive industry during the previous calendar year.
The World Car Awards’ Steering Committee selected the final three contenders, and the World Car Awards’ jury will now vote, by secret ballot, on their choice for the 2026 World Car Person of the Year. The vote results will be verified by KPMG.
Individual episodes on each of the three 2026 World Car Person of the Year contenders will be published on World Car TV over the next 2 weeks, and candidate photos will be available on our website..
The winner of the 2026 World Car Person of the Year will be announced virtually via World Car TV on Thursday, February 26, 2026.
Previous World Car Person of the Year recipients were: Stella Li, Executive Vice-President of BYD (2025); Adrian Newey OBE, then CTO of Red Bull Racing and soon to join Aston Martin’s Formula One team (2024); SangYup Lee, Executive Vice President, Head of Hyundai and Genesis Global Design Center, Hyundai Motor Company (2023); Luc Donckerwolke, Executive Vice President for Design and Chief Creative Officer, Hyundai Motor Group (2022); Akio Toyoda, President and CEO, Toyota Motor Corporation (2021); Carlos Tavares, CEO of PSA Group (2020); the late Sergio Marchionne, CEO, FCA; Chairman, CNH Industrial; and Chairman and CEO, Ferrari (2019); and Håkan Samuelsson, President and CEO, Volvo Car Group (2018).
The World Car Person of the Year award is just one out of seven awards handed out as part of The Road to the World Car Awards – an annual journey that follows our international jurors as they test-drive, and vote on, the eligible vehicles for the awards’ season.
The World Car Awards program would not be possible without the support of our official partners: AITASTIC Research & Consult, Brembo, New York International Auto Show, KPMG, and Newspress. Thank you to our partners.
THE ROAD TO WORLD CAR 2026
Began: September 8, 2025
Ends at the New York International Auto Show: Wednesday, April 1, 2026
FOLLOW OUR 98 INTERNATIONAL JURORS:
World Car TV: YouTube.com/worldcartv
Instagram: @theworldcarawards #wcoty #wca2026 #WorldCarAwards
Facebook: www.facebook.com/WorldCarAwards #worldcarawards #wca2026
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