A Toyota employee since 1984, Richard Cregan has held numerous positions in his 21 years at Toyota Motorsport. In that time, the Irishman has seen his career ladder take him through the championship-winning rally programme to the near-misses in the Le Mans 24 hours. Since 2001, he has been General Manager F1 Operations. Together with Ove Andersson, Cregan realised the potential and necessity to set up an in-house manufacturing base within the Toyota Motorsport factory in Cologne that, together with engineering, now forms the core for the Formula 1 project. With an education in aircraft engineering, and diplomas in business strategy and applied finance, Cregan's role at Panasonic Toyota Racing sees him heavily immersed in the daily running of technical operations both in Cologne and at the race track. Since August 2004, Cregan has taken over the functions of Team Manager of Panasonic Toyota Racing, in addition to his existing operational functions. This multi-faceted role incorporates regular liaison with Formula 1's governing body, the FIA, to guarantee the team complies with sporting regulations during the race weekend, as well as all activities related to the Panasonic Toyota Racing drivers.