Washington (eCanadaNow) - The chief executive officer of Jaguar Land Rover, Geoff Polites, died at the age of 60 over the weekend.  He died in his home in Australia.

He was battling a very serious illness for over two-years now, and according to reports, died very peacefully.

Polites has been a major player in the auto industry for over 40 years, and became the CEO of Jaguar Land Rover back in 2005.

Many auto companies such as Ford Motor, and others have come out to show their support.

Ford Motor put out a press release stating that Polites was responsible for "leading the team that returned the Jaguar Land Rover business back to profitability and successfully steering it through its ongoing sales process."

Ford CEO Alan Mulally stated "His drive and determination, combined with his clear sense of vision for the business, played a huge role in turning around the business at Jaguar Land Rover and returning it to profitability."