JUNE 26, 2000

Management changes at McLaren

RON DENNIS, the boss of the McLaren Formula 1 team, has been moved further up in the growing TAG McLaren empire. Dennis remains chairman and chief executive of the entire company but has relinquished the managing directorship of TAG McLaren Holdings to 44-year-old lawyer Nigel Carrington, who joins McLaren from the Baker & McKenzie law firm.

Carrington will deal with the day-to-day running of the group, allowing Dennis to concentrate on the continued development of the company in the high-technology sector. Dennis has been managing director of the group since October 1997 when he handed over the role of managing director of McLaren International (the Formula 1 team) to Martin Whitmarsh. He maintains a low profile, allowing Dennis to represent the team at races, although he spends very little time these days involved in actually running F1 operations.

The TAG McLaren Group currently consists of the Formula 1 team, TAG Electronics, McLaren Composites, TAG McLaren Marketing Services and McLaren Cars, which is currently designing and building the Mercedes SLR road car. The company's audio business has been spun off as a separate company since DaimlerChrysler bought a 40% shareholding in the company earlier this year. The firm's head of legal affairs Tim Murnane has also been named a director of the TAG McLaren Group.

It is unlikely that the changes will make much difference in the day-to-day operation of the company as they merely reflect the need to add additional management as the company heads towards 1000 employees.