Tim Watson Appointed New Communications Chief for Aston Martin Jaguar Land Rover North America

IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 24, 2005 -- Tim Watson has been appointed Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs for Aston Martin Jaguar Land Rover North America.

Watson will lead the three separate PR teams, covering brand, product, corporate and internal communications. He will be responsible for implementing the communication strategies for the three British brands in the USA.

Watson (41) has served since 2001 as Public Affairs Director and latterly Brand Communications Director at Aston Martin's headquarters in the UK. He takes up his new position in the Premier Automotive Group's North American headquarters in Irvine, Ca., reporting to Mike O'Driscoll, President of Aston Martin Jaguar Land Rover North America and Stuart Dyble Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs, Premier Automotive Group and Ford of Europe.

"During his four years at Aston Martin, Tim has shown time and again that he knows how to shape and communicate a brand message with vigor and unerring consistency. He is a car guy and a perfect ambassador for the business -- he will be a great addition to the North American team," commented Mike O'Driscoll.

"I have had a tremendous time at Aston Martin during one of the most exciting and challenging phases the company has ever seen. North America is the most important market, not only for Aston Martin, but also Jaguar and Land Rover, so I am really looking forward to taking up this opportunity and working closely with the communications team in the US," commented Watson.

Prior to his role at Aston Martin, Watson worked in Public Affairs for Mazda, followed by Sales & Marketing and International Communications for Maserati SpA and Ferrari SpA.

"I am delighted with this move for Tim. He is a great PR professional, well known and well respected by media around the world. He has all the right skills and temperament for the dynamic and highly competitive US environment," stated Stuart Dyble. "Tim will see out the debut of the critically important Aston Martin V8 Vantage before transitioning to his new role at the end of March. This will also ensure a good handover period for his successor."

Watson's successor at Aston Martin will be the subject of a separate announcement.