Zak Brown takes the helm at McLaren
Nature abhors a vacuum: with Ron Dennis forced to resign last week, McLaren has just announced the arrival of Zak Brown as the group's new executive director.
Zak Brown had been rumored everywhere for several months when he announced that he was stepping down as president of the sports marketing agency he founded, Just Marketing International.
Initially, he was announced as one of the potential future replacements for Bernie Ecclestone or at least as one of the key figures in the new organization that Liberty Media was going to establish at the head of the sport. Ultimately, he decided to join one of the most prestigious teams in the paddock, which is currently experiencing a significant lack of performance (its last victory dates back to Austin 2012).
He was all the more captivated by the prospect of working in Woking as he knows the team very well, having sealed numerous sponsorship deals together over the years, as he doesn’t fail to mention: « As the founder of Just Marketing International, which is now the largest marketing agency in motorsports globally, I have often worked closely with McLaren. I have developed excellent relationships throughout the company. Together, we’ve secured major sponsorship agreements, including Johnnie Walker, GSK, Hilton, Lenovo, Chandon, and NTT. » Obviously, he refrains from specifying that the said agreement with Johnnie Walker has since been significantly reduced in visibility, especially with the arrival of Chandon…
In any case, McLaren will bring in someone passionate about motorsports and a perfect expert in F1 economics: « In my new role, I will be able to combine my absolute passion with my unparalleled area of expertise, namely motorsports and marketing, ensuring that both remain completely aligned. »
The team nevertheless announced that it is continuing the process to find a new CEO, in place of Ron Dennis.
With the participation of www.racingbusiness.fr
