Torsten Mueller is to replace Rolls-Royce Motor Cars CEO Tom Purves who is retiring after 25 years with the BMW Group.
Muller starts his new job at the end of March. He’s been with BMW over 20 years, has held a number of management posts in the sales and marketing sivision and played a key role in brand and product management for the Mini launch between 2000 and 2003.
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“He successfully re-launched the Mini brand and internationally re-established this quintessentially British marque as the first premium small car brand,” BMW said in a statement.
In 2004 Mueller took charge of BMW central marketing and brand management and, since April 2008, has run global product management plus sections of the aftersales business.
Mueller will continue to report to BMW management board member Ian Robertson, who heads group sales and marketing and is also Rolls-Royce chairman.
Robertson said: “Torsten has many years of solid experience in the fields of brand and product management as well as marketing. He is the perfect candidate to lead Rolls-Royce Motor Cars into a period of expansion – having not only a successful track record as a manager, but also a feel for the unique attributes of a traditional brand.”
Purves succeeded Robertson as Rolls-Royce CEO in July 2008. His previous posts included more than nine years as president of BMW North America and head of the sales region there, where he managed group activities throughout North and South America. Under his tenure sales and market share more than doubled. He began in the automotive industry in 1966 as an apprentice engineer at Rolls-Royce in Crewe [now VW-owned Bentley’s base] before joining BMW in 1985.
