McLaren has officially appointed Nick Collins as its new Chief Executive Officer, following a strategic leadership transition led by its new majority owner, CYVN Holdings. Collins brings over 30 years of automotive experience, having held senior roles at both Ford Europe and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR).
Before joining McLaren, Collins served as CEO of Forseven, an electric vehicle startup backed by CYVN. Forseven recently merged with McLaren as part of CYVN’s restructuring efforts. CYVN, an Abu Dhabi-based investment group, acquired McLaren Automotive and a minority stake in McLaren Racing from previous owner Mumtalakat, Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund, in December.
At JLR, Collins spent nine years, including three as head of vehicle programs. His earlier career was rooted in Ford Europe, where he held multiple senior positions for over two decades. His appointment marks a clear signal of CYVN’s focus on experienced leadership and innovation as it aims to revitalize the McLaren brand.
Collins succeeds Michael Leiters, who joined McLaren in July 2022 after holding executive roles at Ferrari and Porsche. During his time at McLaren, Leiters helped the brand through a turbulent phase, overseeing the launches of major models like the 750S, Artura Coupe and Spider, the Solus GT, and unveiling the W1 concept.
CYVN and McLaren Group Chairman Jassem Mohamed Bu Ataba Al Zaabi praised Leiters’ efforts in guiding the automaker through post-pandemic challenges, noting his significant contributions to McLaren’s recent progress and product expansion.
