CHRIS THORP

Chris Thorp was appointed Chief Corporate Officer in July 2026. Chris is responsible for Creative, Corporate Affairs and Motorsport and had previously served as JLR’s Chief of Staff & Corporate Affairs Officer since June 2021. 

 Chris is JLR’s Executive Committee leader for Creative, supporting the Creative Leadership team to continue to develop and deliver JLR’s world‑renowned products across its House of Brands, connecting design, development and technical capability from concept through to delivery. 

He is also responsible for enhancing the reputation and performance of the business while leading JLR’s Corporate Affairs activity. Through actively driving corporate activities, Chris brings together several key areas including internal and external corporate reputation management and communications, government affairs, royal and diplomatic affairs, and the executive business office.  

As Chair of JLR Motorsport and Board Director of Jaguar Racing Limited, Chris also leads JLR’s motorsport activities focused on Formula E through the Jaguar TCS Racing team as well as the Defender Rally team.  

Passionate about team performance, Chris is a values‑based leader with a strong track record of developing individuals and groups to deliver their full potential. An experienced business and communications leader, he demonstrates a calm approach to navigating complex and unpredictable global challenges. 

With a lifelong love of all things automotive, Chris joined JLR as a Global PR Communications Senior Manager in 2014, before later taking on the position of Responsible Business Director, followed by Corporate Affairs Director.  

Prior to joining JLR, Chris led the development of Nissan’s European PR content strategy across 23 markets, using experience gained while working as a director at automotive media communications consultancy Newspress.  

In the early days of his career, Chris was a journalist on UK weekly motoring magazine Auto Express, where he launched the publication’s first commercial website.