Think about how different the world was 16 years ago, especially in terms of new cars. The auto industry seemed mired in malaise-inspired designs, and car build quality (especially among American automakers) was atrocious. It was into this unforgiving crucible that noted lead Ford designer J Mays stepped into, and 16 years later a key player in Ford’s turnaround is ready to step down.

That’s what the New York Times reports, as J Mays has announced his retirement from Ford’s design studio, handing the reigns to Moray Callum.

Prior to joining Ford, Mays had stints at Audi and Volkswagen, where he helped pen what would become the New Beetle design. Mays stay at Ford has been seen as a boon as of late, though there were a few controversial (and frankly boring) vehicles penned by Mays during his tenure. One of the most-notable flops was the 2005 Ford 500, a car only remarkable for how purely mediocre it was. The blandness may not be Mays’ fault entirely since often new designs start out exciting, only to end up being stripped of their exciting features for more mundane by accountants and executives.

Mays also brought us some incredible concepts, including the Ford Forty-Nine and the 2007 Interceptor Concept. More importantly though, J Mays helped make car design more accessible to the general public, making appearances and discussing his work with anyone that would listen. He has also been instrumental in uniting the look of the Ford lineup across the globe with products like the universally lauded Ford Fusion and Focus, and his tenure as design chief will not soon be forgotten.