Zak Brown has accepted an offer from McLaren Technology Group to come on board as their Executive Director, a role which will begin imminently.
McLaren are looking to merge their commercial and strategic operations in a bid to achieving greater success in F1, and see the appointment of Brown as a key component in implementing a successful re-structure.
The American ‘s name had been bandied around as the most likely predecessor of outgoing chairman Ron Dennis, who after thirty-five years at the helm of McLaren, was put on gardening leave and forced to step down from his duties with the business last week.
Brown is not however a direct replacement for Dennis, and will instead take up the position of Executive Director, reporting to McLaren Technology Group’s Executive Committee and will head up the business alongside current Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Neale. The search for a new Group Chief Executive Officer meanwhile, will continue on.
In a McLaren Technology Group announcement posted yesterday, Brown expressed his delight at becoming part of the Woking based squad’s organisation.
“I’m immensely proud to be joining McLaren Technology Group. I have the utmost respect and admiration for what the business has achieved to date, and I look forward to contributing to the next important phase in its development.
“Having worked closely with McLaren for many years, I’ve been struck by the talent and ambition of the entire workforce, and I very much look forward to complementing the business’s many existing strengths, and building on them to drive future success in everything we do.
“As founder of Just Marketing International (JMI) – now the world’s largest motorsport marketing agency – I’ve often worked closely with McLaren as I say, and I’ve developed some excellent relationships across the company. Together we’ve delivered some great sponsorship deals, including Johnnie Walker, GSK, Hilton, Lenovo, Chandon and NTT.
“Best of all, in my new role I’ll be able to combine my absolute passion with my unparalleled area of expertise – respectively motorsport and marketing – while ensuring that the two stay totally aligned.”
Brown’s achievements in business and in particular marketing and sponsorship through his role at Just Marketing International (JMI), which has seen the American attract high-profile deals for a number of F1 teams during his tenure, make the American an extremely attractive and much needed proposition for McLaren, who have struggled of late to have an impact in such a crucial area of the business.
Having being unable to secure a title sponsor since losing Vodafone in 2013, the Woking based squad will be eager to use the American’s skills in acquiring a strong deal for the 2017 season, and improving their brand going forward.
