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8 October, 2026 The Department at Hudson's, Detroit, USA

Car Design Dialogues Detroit

SECURE YOUR PASS

250+ ATTENDEES
AGENDA NOW LIVE
30+ SPEAKERS
FULL DAY PROGRAMME

250+ ATTENDEES
AGENDA NOW LIVE
30+ SPEAKERS
FULL DAY PROGRAMME

CDD Detroit 2026

Car Design Dialogues Detroit returns in 2026 with an evolved format designed to deliver greater value for OEM design leaders while bringing suppliers directly into the conversation. Bringing the community together for a full day of keynotes, panels and hands-on workshops, the programme explores how technology, materials and emotion are reshaping vehicle design, spanning HMI/UX, Interior and CMF, and concludes with our renowned drinks reception to continue the discussions informally.

OEM representatives can apply for a complimentary pass, while a limited number of supplier passes are available.

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2026 Speakers

Franz von Holzhausen

chief designer
Tesla

Franz von Holzhausen is the Chief Designer at Tesla, responsible for all Tesla Design programs, charged with establishing a world-class design…

Bryan Nesbitt

VP of global design
General Motors

Bryan Nesbitt was appointed senior vice president, Global Design at General Motors in June 2026. Prior to this role, Nesbitt was vice president,…

Scott Krugger

senior vice president, head of North America design
Stellantis

Scott Krugger was appointed senior vice president and head of Stellantis North America Design in July 2025, leading the creative vision and design…

Irina Zavatski

vice president, Chrysler brand exterior design
Stellantis

Irina Zavatski was appointed vice president for the Chrysler brand design in May 2022. In this position, Zavatski is responsible for the development,…

Jeff Hammoud

chief design officer
Rivian

Jeff Hammoud is the Chief Design Officer at Rivian. Jeff is responsible for how all Rivian’s customer touch points look and feel, including…

Chris Benjamin

chief design officer
Scout Motors

Chris Benjamin was appointed Chief Design Officer at Scout Motors in 2023. Chris serves as the steward of the iconic Scout design, overseeing interior…

Ian Cartabiano

president
Calty Design Research

Ian Cartabiano is President of Calty Design Research based in Newport Beach, California. Working with Toyota Motors Corporate headquarters, Ian…

Tisha Johnson

head of design
Slate

Tisha Johnson is head of design at Slate, the EV startup backed by Jeff Bezos. A former Volvo designer with nearly 17 years across two stints, she led…

Paul Wraith

global design director for SUVs
Ford Motor Company

Paul Wraith is the Global Design Director for SUVs at Ford Motor Company, taking pride in leading teams who design relevant, inventive, and proven…

Christine Park Cheng

global design director
Lincoln

Christine Park Cheng is the Global Design Director for Lincoln, responsible for leading the long-term design vision of Ford Motor Company’s luxury…

Derek Jenkins

senior vice president of design and brand
Lucid Motors

Derek Jenkins is Senior Vice President of Design and Brand at Lucid Motors, a Silicon Valley–based luxury electric automaker. In this role, he…

Phil Zak

executive design director, global Chevrolet
General Motors

As the Executive Design Director and Global Brand Champion for Chevrolet, Phil Zak is responsible for the exterior and interior designs for all…

Greg Howell

vice president, Dodge exterior design
Stellantis

Greg Howell was appointed vice president of Dodge exterior design in August 2025. In this position, he is responsible for managing all aspects of…

Ryan Nagode

vice president, interior design
Stellantis

Ryan Nagode is vice president of interior design at Stellantis. In this position, Nagode leads the interior design direction for Chrysler, Dodge,…

Bill Zheng

head of user experience
Stellantis North America

Bill Zheng was appointed head of user experience (UX) for Stellantis North America in April 2026, where he leads the UX design strategy for Chrysler,…

Paul Wraith

program chief designer
Ford Design

Paul designs relevant, inventive and successful vehicles; ones that make a difference to the people who use them, build businesses around them, and…

Dom Najafi

executive design director, global Cadillac
General Motors

Coming soon.

Christian Dodd

senior design director - digital product design
Ford Motor Company

Coming soon.

Jennifer Widrick

director, global CMF
General Motors

Coming soon.

Rebecca Waldmeir

senior design manager - corporate brand environments, graphics, outreach & heritage
General Motors

Coming soon.

Aaron Deneweth

chief designer physical interaction
Ford Motor Company

Aaron Deneweth is a strategic design leader with over 25 years of experience driving innovation at the intersection of industrial design,…

Sebastian Bauer

executive director and head of human interface design
General Motors

Coming soon.

Zeb Coughenour

sr. manager, interior design
Lucid Motors

Zeb Coughenour is an experienced automotive design professional with 13 years of experience, currently serving as the Senior Manager of Interior…

Christopher Kroener

lead CMF designer
Lucid Motors

Coming soon.

Testimonials

This event was a great networking opportunity and the panel discussions were relevant and insightful. I'm looking forward to the next one

Jon Gaudreau, Stellantis

Great event! I'm glad I had the opportunity to participate

Emanuele Ferraris, Archer

Good times, good chat

Paul Wraith, Ford Design

The event was really strong. Loved the availability of the panellists. Thank you for your support

Daryl Thomson, Autodesk

2025 highlights

2026 Partners