McLaren Group has been through a rough time, it’s CEO of 9 years, Mike Flewitt, stepped down last year October. Effects of the pandemic forced the company to sell its McLaren Applied technology business and a stake of its F1 team. Even worse, it had to sell its headquarters and lease it back.
McLaren Automotive is the division of McLaren Group that manufactures its supercars, it has been operating under interim CEO Michael Macht. The new CEO, Michael Leiters will take over from July 1st.
Leiters, 50, was the former chief technology officer at Ferrari, a role he left back in December last year after the company overhauled its organizational structure in preparation for its first SUV and the transition to an electrified future.
Leiters, who holds a doctorate in engineering, once held a senior engineer position at Porsche where he oversaw a lot of the automaker’s early work with hybrid technology. He will now oversee the McLaren Technical Centre, the McLaren Production Centre, and the McLaren Composites Technology Centre.
“I could not be more excited to be joining McLaren Automotive as CEO at this important moment in its journey,” Leiters said. “McLaren is already recognized as one of the world’s most admired luxury supercar companies.”
Leiters will lead a staff of 3,000 employees from the McLaren’s global headquarters in Surrey, England. He will steer the automaker as it prepares to launch its first series production hybrid, the Artura.
The Artura hybrid supercar comes with an electric motor paired with a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 making a combined 671 horsepower (500 kilowatts) and 593 pound-feet (804 Newton-meters) of torque.
“His extensive industry leadership experience combined with his passion for engineering and future technology will help guide and develop our team as we enter an exciting second decade,” said McLaren Group Executive Chairman Paul Walsh.