Brown Turns Down IndyCar CEO Job
Brown told The Associated Press on Tuesday he informed Hulman & Co. CEO Mark Miles of his decision not to take the top job with IndyCar. He'll instead relocate in July to England to continue the growth of his Zionsville, Ind.-based agency, Just Marketing International.
"I'm a huge fan of IndyCar, it's a great product and it certainly would have been a great opportunity and challenge," Brown said. "I have no doubt Mark Miles and the team he forms will lead the series down a path of success — and we at JMI will continue to do our part to support IndyCar.
"I'm committed to JMI, excited about our future and therefore unable to pursue any other opportunities. Mark is fully aware of my passion for IndyCar and my desire to contribute to the series' success in any way I can, but at this time that cannot be in the CEO role."
Brown had been contemplating leaving Indiana for London when discussions began earlier this year with Miles about a potential role for Brown in IndyCar. Miles, hired late last year as head of IndyCar's parent company, had said Brown had made it clear "his only interest would be if we put the pieces together and he was the head of racing."
"I have invested my entire business life into JMI, I've got great partners in Spire Capital and WPP, and the best group of employees," Brown said. "Collectively we've all turned JMI into market leaders. Motorsports and our business has never been stronger and we have some very exciting opportunities ahead of us, which gets me very excited about our future and I have a strong desire to continue to lead JMI as I've done for the past 17 years."