SIMON ROBERTS

Operations Director, McLaren Racing

Having studied Mechanical Engineering at Manchester University, Simon Roberts, born 27th September 1962, started his career as a graduate at Perkins Engines, where he trained as a Performance Development Engineer and eventually took on the role of Head of Manufacturing Engineering. He then moved to Rover / BMW as Chief Engineer Diesel Engines with design and programme. He joined the Powertrain Board as Director of Manufacturing Engineering and Strategy and helped merge the BMW and Rover Powertrain organisations. Following a year running gearbox & suspension plants in the UK for BMW he left to build the Pendolino tilting trains at Alstom as Operations Director and Industrial Managing Director. Simon joined McLaren Racing in September 2003 as General Manager and is responsible for coordinating the manufacture and assembly processes, I.T., transport and logistics, quality, vehicle technology laboratories and human resources. He became Operations Director in 2006.