Ellie Norman steps down as F1 chief marketing officer

Former F1 chief marketing officer Ellie Norman has reportedly parted ways with the organization after four and a half years. She joined the sport in 2017 following Liberty Media's acquisition of the sport from Virgin Media.

Within a year of holding the role of sports director of marketing, Norman was promoted to director of marketing communications. She has played a key role in leading the transformative marketing campaign that has made the sport the fastest-growing one in terms of social media engagement globally.

As reported by Motorsport, CEO Stefano Domenicali commented on Norman's contribution to the rebranding of the sport, saying:

“During the past five seasons, under Ellie’s leadership of the marketing team, we have rebranded F1 and modernized its approach to fan engagement, which has led to strong growth in our fanbase across the world.”

He added:

“During that time, Formula 1 has become a global brand on social media, in digital content and partnership collaborations, and has built a robust direct-to-consumer acquisition business through F1TV subscriptions and premium hospitality lead generation, and created a fan database and customer relationship management program, to provide a single customer view and focus on the ‘value of a fan.’”

The growing digital community across social media platforms, as well as the Netflix documentary "Drive to Survive," allowed audiences to relate with drivers and teams on a more personal level. It gave the sport a much-needed human touch that has resulted in the exponential growth of the sport.

A replacement for Ellie Norman has yet to be announced and no confirmation regarding her future has been made. Norman has changed the face of the sport and her contribution to the sport will be reflected in the years to come.

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Ellie Norman F1's first female executive

In the male-dominated world of fast cars, Ellie Norman became the sport's first female executive when she joined the company back in 2017. In doing so, she has paved the way for thousands of girls who aspire to pursue a career in the sport.

When asked to comment on the same, as reported by the Montreal Gazette, Norman said:

“The world is a diverse place, and our fan base is diverse across the world. When Liberty took over, there was an awareness that we should be reflective of that inside our own organization as we go about growing the sport and to ensure it remains relevant in the long term.”

The woman who once dreamed of becoming a motorsport driver is now to be credited for the successful engagement of the sport and the indelible mark on the automotive industry.

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