Holden Retirees Club

 

 Meeting/Luncheon Details

Luncheons are held at 12:30 pm on the first Thursday of

March, June, September and December each year,

at

The Mulgrave Room,

The Mulgrave Country Club,

Cnr Wellington Rd and Jells Rd,

Wheelers Hill,

Victoria

Click here for Map and directions

Melways Reference : Map 80, H1

The Club is serviced by buses from Dandenong and Chadstone.  

Click here for bus route and time details.

Lunches are provided at a cost of $30 for a two course main meal plus tea/coffee, except for the December Lunch when a Christmas Pudding course is added, for $35.  Meal costs may be reviewed from time to time. 

Drinks are available at Club Bar prices. 

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The next Lunch will be Thursday, 4 June 2026

Upcoming Lunch dates (first Thursday of the month):

2026: 4 June, 3 September, 3 December 

 

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 4 June Lunch!

Guest Speaker:  Michael Simcoe - General Motors Global Design Director (Retired)

Michael Simcoe served as the Senior Vice President of Global Design at General Motors, becoming only the seventh person to hold that role in the company's nearly 120-year history. As an Australian native, he was also the first VP of Global Design to originate outside GM's Detroit headquarters — a distinction he credits as the very reason he rose to the position.
Simcoe holds an Associate Diploma of Art Industrial Design from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and was inducted into the Design Industry Australia Hall of Fame in 2018.

 

Milestones:
1983 - Joined GM Holden as a designer, rising to Senior Designer and then Chief Designer by 1987.
1995 - Became Director of Design for GM Asia Pacific, overseeing collaborative projects with Daewoo, Suzuki, Fuji Heavy Industries, and Isuzu.
1998–2001 - Quietly designed a rear-wheel-drive coupe concept for Australia's home market, which became the successful 2001 Holden Monaro, catching the attention of GM executive Bob Lutz. The design later reached America as the 2004 Pontiac GTO and inspired the 2008 Pontiac G8 GT.
2003 - Named Executive Director of Asia Pacific Design, establishing GM Korea Design Operations.
2004 - Became Executive Director of North American Exterior Design, responsible for many products, including GMC Terrain, Buick LaCrosse, Equinox, and most importantly the Cadillac CTS, second-gen Sedan, Coupe and Sports Wagon. Also led the fifth-generation 2010 Chevrolet Camaro — a project that pioneered real-time global design collaboration.
2011 - Appointed Executive Director of GM International Operations Design, overseeing studios in Korea, Australia, and India.

2016 - Named Vice President of GM Global Design - only the seventh person in company history to lead the organisation. Led the GM Korea Design Team in the creation of the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV, meeting ambitious range and affordability targets.
2017- 2019 — Global Studio Expansion. Established new advanced design studios in Pasadena, California; Leamington Spa, England and Shanghai, as well as a production studio in South Korea.
2020–2022 — Landmark Vehicles - Oversaw the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray — GM's first mid-engine Corvette — the 2021 Cadillac Escalade with industry-first curved display technology, and the reborn GMC HUMMER EV.
2023 — Cadillac Renaissance - Redefined the Cadillac Brand, launching the LYRIQ, Escalade EV, Optiq and the handbuilt CELESTIQ flagship, his self-described "dream job." Also oversaw the opening of Cadillac House at Vanderbilt on the Warren campus — a bespoke customer customisation space described as "the intersection of engineering and artistry."
Design West- Championed the 360,000-square-foot Design West facility on GM's Warren campus, housing all four brand studios under one roof. The complex features a 55-foot, 78-million-pixel presentation wall and an underground tunnel lined with GM production colours spanning seven decades.
2023 - Promoted to Senior Vice President of GM Global Design.
July 1, 2025 — Retired after 42 years. GM President Mark Reuss remarked that Mike "elevated automotive design not just at GM, but the world over." His parting gift was the Cadillac Opulent Velocity and Elevated Velocity Concepts, as well as the C10 trio of Corvette concepts.

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 Menu:

There will be 2 delicious courses for $30. 

Members are reminded that unless you are also a member of the MCC, you must sign in when entering the Club. You may do this at the front desk. The Lunch fees will be collected just inside the door of The Mulgrave Room.

DOORS OPEN AT 11:30 AM; MEETING STARTS AT 12:30 PM. 

If you arrive earlier, you may care to have some refreshment in one of the Club's other rooms while you wait. 

Come along and enjoy a great meal in pleasant company!