Nick Fry Keynote Speaker

Brawn GP CEO—Drivers & Constructors titles (2009)
Mercedes AMG Petronas CEO; first works win since 1955
Chair, McLaren Applied; F1 SECU contract extended to 2030

Nick Fry's Biography

Nick Fry is a motorsport and business leader who has built title-winning organisations at the very top of elite sport. As CEO of Brawn GP in 2009, he helped turn a team on the brink into double World Champions with Jenson Button—an extraordinary turnaround chronicled in his book Survive. Drive. Win. (2019) and in Disney+’s 2023 documentary series Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story.

From 2010 to 2013, Fry led Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 as CEO, laying commercial and operational foundations that underpinned the team’s championship era. Under his leadership the team delivered Mercedes’ first works victory since 1955 at the 2012 Chinese Grand Prix, secured top-tier partners including PETRONAS, and signed headline drivers Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher.

Raised in south London, he read Economics and Economic Geography at Swansea University and joined Ford in 1977, spending 24 years in roles spanning manufacturing, European service and product planning. As Managing Director of Aston Martin Lagonda he oversaw the DB7 programme; at Prodrive (2001) he doubled turnover and led title-winning rally and GT campaigns; at BAR Honda he restructured the team to P2 in the 2004 Constructors’ Championship and delivered its first Grand Prix win at the 2006 Hungarian GP, before recruiting Ross Brawn (2007), funding a £50m wind tunnel, and co-leading the 2008 management buyout that became Brawn GP.

Today Nick serves as Non-Executive Chairman of McLaren Applied (appointed 2021), guiding growth across motorsport, automotive and connected intelligence. Under his chairmanship McLaren Applied secured FIA selection to supply F1’s Standard ECU for 2026–2030 and expanded into e-mobility with Lavoie’s acquisition of VanMoof and the completion of the FIMER solar-inverter acquisition (2023–2025). He is also Chairman of Fnatic, a leading global esports organisation, and a Patron of Hope for Tomorrow.

Inside Formula One

Nick draws on his own stellar career in the sport and gives an accessible explanation of how an F1 team operates and how the top teams are consistently successful. He then explains how those practices can be utilised in any business, regardless of sector. This provides a fresh perspective and new ideas to invigorate any company meeting or client conference.

Managing Change

F1 teams are masters of speed on and off the track. Nick discusses how to manage change of circumstance, technological, cultural and organisational change emphasising the role of leadership, clear objectives, effective delegation and communication. His wide experience in mainstream car companies, early stage organisations as well as in F1 allows him to relate to the challenges faced by all organisations and propose practical solutions to management teams.

Innovation

Without 15%+ performance improvement annually a F1 team slips down the grid. Nick explores how to generate a culture of continuous improvement, fast problem resolution and how great ideas can come from anywhere in an organisation. Managing the best people and instilling a culture where boundaries of technology and process are tested whilst also reacting appropriately and with a developed containment actions when inevitably something does not go to plan.