Zak Brown appointed as McLaren executive director

Leading motorsport marketing figure Zak Brown has taken up the role as executive director of the McLaren Technology Group.

Brown will settle into his new position next month in a move that comes soon after McLaren stalwart Ron Dennis was forced to stand down as chief executive of the McLaren Group.

In a prepared statement, McLaren said the appointment of 45-year-old Brown is part of a restructuring program aimed at aligning the group’s commercial and strategic operations by helping it to re-emerge as a competitive force in Formula 1.

Brown will report directly to the McLaren Technology Group executive committee with Brown and chief operating officer Jonathan Neale leading the businesses as part of the first phase of the operation’s transition to a new structure.

McLaren says it remains in the process of identifying and recruiting a new Group chief executive.

“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,” Brown said.

“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.”

Dennis, meanwhile, remains a shareholder of the McLaren Technology Group and McLaren Automotive of which he is a board member of both.