Woking (Surrey), Jan 17 (IANS): McLaren Group has announced that its chairman Ron Dennis has been appointed to the additional role of the Group's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with immediate effect.

Mr Dennis, a shareholder of McLaren since 1980 and the architect of its modern era, was the CEO of the Group from 1982 to 2012 and the team principal of the McLaren Formula 1 team from 1982 to 2009 before becoming Group Chairman in 2013.

Following his appointment Thursday, Dennis said: "My fellow shareholders have mandated me to write an exciting new chapter in the story of McLaren, beginning by improving our on-track and off-track performance. Over the coming weeks I intend to undertake a thorough and objective review of each of our businesses with the intention of optimising every aspect of our existing operations, whilst identifying new areas of growth that capitalise on our technologies, and where appropriate further investing in them."

Dennis will remain chairman of McLaren Automotive, the marque's high-performance road car company.