The British manufacturer Norton has announced the appointment of Brian Gillen as Chief Technical Officer (CTO).
Gillen joins Norton after spending over 15 years at Schiranna, as Research and Development Director of MV Agusta. Before that, he worked at Magneti Marelli, an electronics specialist, which currently supplies ECU hardware and software to all MotoGP teams, a position held since 2016.
Interestingly, the press release issued by Norton announcing Gillen’s appointment lists his areas of expertise as “leadership in R&D, engine and vehicle design, and motorcycle racing in the World Championship.”
Although Norton’s history in motorcycle racing is famous, the days of victories in Grand Prix are behind them. Their most recent racing effort, of course, was under their previous ownership in road racing with their V4SV super sportbike, which became well known for having very little success despite the talent of riders like Josh Brookes and John McGuinness. Now, under the ownership of Indian company TVS Motor, it is suddenly apparent that Norton may return to racing on short circuits. Time will tell, but it seems that if a new racing program is on the way, Gillen will be leading it.
Speaking about his appointment to Norton, Brian Gillen said, “As a long-time enthusiast of the iconic Norton brand, it is an incredibly exciting moment to join the company’s leadership team. I look forward to working with the talented team of engineers and developing top-of-the-line motorcycles, with quality at the forefront of everything we do.”
