Torsten Mueller
The current CEO of Rolls-Royce, Tom Purves, is set to retire in just a couple of months after serving the BMW Group, which Rolls-Royce is a part of, for the past 25 years. In his place will be Torsten Mueller who will step into the CEO position at Rolls-Royce at the end of March.
Mueller, too, has worked for the BMW Group for more than 20 years and has held a number of management positions in the sales and marketing division and was instrumental in brand and product management for MINI between 2000 and 2003. In fact, he successfully re-launched the MINI brand and internationally re-established this quintessentially British marque as the first premium small car brand. In 2004 he assumed responsibility for central marketing and brand management at BMW.
The new Rolls-Royce CEO will report directly to Ian Robertson, the current chief of BMW and chairman of Rolls-Royce.
Rolls-Royce is currently in one of the best financial positions in history. Despite a global downturn in auto sales over the past year, Rolls-Royce is working at full steam just to meet demand. Now, with the higher volume 2010 Ghost sedan on sale, the automaker’s sales have topped the 1,000 vehicle mark, coming in at 1,002 units for 2009.
Mueller will have to lead the brand into the future and will potentially oversee the launch of a Rolls-Royce hybrid and possibly an all-electric model during his tenure as CEO.
[Rolls-Royce]
