The British manufacturer Norton has announced the appointment of Brian Gillen to its Chief Technical Officer (CTO) position.
Gillen joins after spending more than 15 years in Schiranna, as Research and Development Director of MV Agusta. Before that, he worked at electronics specialists Magneti Marelli, which currently supplies ECU hardware and software to all MotoGP teams and has done so since 2016.
Curiously, the press release Norton issued announcing Gillen’s appointment lists his fields of expertise as “R&D leadership, engine and vehicle design, and World Championship motorcycle racing.”
While Norton’s history in motorcycle racing is a famous one, the days of winning Grand Prix are long behind the brand. Its most recent racing effort, of course, was under its previous ownership in road racing with its V4SV supersports bike, which became an effort well-known for achieving quite little success despite the talents of riders like Josh Brookes and John McGuinness. Now under the ownership of Indian firm TVS Motor, it is suddenly apparent that Norton could return to short circuit racing. Time will tell on that one, but it seems that if a new racing programme is on the way it will be Gillen to lead it.
Speaking on his appointment at Norton, Brian Gillen said: “As a long-time enthusiast of the iconic Norton brand, it is an incredibly exciting time to join the company’s leadership team. I am looking forward to work with the talented team of engineers and develop cutting-edge, premium motorcycles, with quality at the forefront of everything we do.”
Norton Motorcycles CEO, Dr Robert Hentschel, added: “Brian comes with very rich experience and expertise in engine and vehicle design, emerging technologies, and connectivity. I am confident that his joining the team will further strengthen our commitment to technological innovation and engineering excellence, and this will soon reflect in the world class product range that we are developing.”
Gillen’s appointment at Norton follows on from revelations in the Indian press last week that a new product range is on the way from the British manufacturer, with the new models set to begin landing in 2026.
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