Müller-Ötvös to retire as Rolls-Royce Motor Cars CEO next month

Torsten Müller-Ötvös will retire from his post as Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Chief Executive Officer (CEO) on November 30.

The company's longest-serving chief executive since Claude Johnson, Müller-Ötvös joined Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in 2010.

“Leading Rolls-Royce for almost 14 years has been the greatest privilege and pleasure of my professional life. To have grown the company and its world-class people to the position it is in today, at the pinnacle of the luxury industry, has been a remarkable adventure. I am proud of the role my exceptional team and I have played in contributing significantly to the UK economy and to the global recognition of Britain’s ability to produce the world’s best luxury products,” he said.

According to BMW Group Chief Executive Oliver Zipse, Müller-Ötvös helped make Rolls-Royce the world-class luxury brand it is now known for with his outstanding leadership, unswerving commitment, clear vision and exceptional ability to build a strong, focused team.

Per Rolls-Royce, it was under Müller-Ötvös' leadership that the brand “has been transformed from an automotive manufacturer to a true luxury house.” The move, the firm added, led to commercial success with annual sales climbing from 1,000 units 2009 to 6,000 in 2022 — with every vehicle rolling out of the Global Center of Luxury Manufacturing Excellence in Goodwood, West Sussex being bespoke.

It was also under his watch when the Rolls-Royce Wraith, Dawn, Cullinan (the marque’s first-ever sport utility vehicle), and Spectre electric vehicle were launched.

With the expansion of its product line, the brand began to attract a new generation of clients. In 2010, the average price of a Rolls-Royce was around €250,000 and the average client was aged 56; today, the average price has doubled to around €500,000 and the average age of a Rolls-Royce customer going down to 43 years old.

Further, it was during his stint that the brand embraced new technologies to meet its customer base’s unique taste — bringing the brand to them physically in the form of new private office boutiques or virtually with Whispers app (a digital members’ club reserved for those who own a Goodwood-era Rolls-Royce).

“I believe the company is ready to embrace the future with all its opportunities. We have recently submitted our plans to extend our Goodwood site significantly in order to accommodate not only further electric production, but also to fulfil demand for even more Bespoke and Coachbuild products. These areas of our business truly set us apart, and I am exceptionally proud of them,” Müller-Ötvös noted.

“As I leave Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, I look forward to the opportunity for new professional challenges, as well as having a little more time to visit the world’s great fly-fishing rivers! I wish Chris Brownridge the very best as he takes the helm of this wonderful marque. The team we have built over the last 14 years includes some of the most talented, dedicated and innovative minds in the luxury and automotive industries. I’m confident that, together, they will add further remarkable chapters to the extraordinary story of a company like no other in the world,” he added.

The ultra-luxury vehicle marque shared that the outgoing CEO will be succeeded by Chris Brownridge, who holds the same position in BMW United Kingdom since 2021.

 “Chris Brownridge is a hugely experienced professional with a tremendous track record – I am sure he will build on Rolls-Royce’s success and guide Rolls-Royce Motor Cars onwards into its all-electric future,” Zipse said.

A sales and marketing expert, Brownridge spent almost 30 years with the BMW Group, starting as a graduate in 1995. Prior to his current position of CEO, Chris has been a member of the UK Board in various roles since 2011, including Sales Director BMW UK, BMW UK Marketing and Mini Regional Director for UK and Ireland.

 “I’m both honored and humbled by my new appointment. To be invited to lead this great British brand, at such a pivotal moment in its long and remarkable story, is an extraordinary privilege. Rolls-Royce is one of the world’s most recognized, desirable and influential brands, and I’m keenly aware of the enormous affection and esteem in which it’s held. It’s a tribute to its magnificent products, the close relationships it maintains with its clients and, above all, to the exceptional team I’m about to join. I’m also conscious of the incredible heritage of which we are the proud custodians, and that everything we do builds on and adds to that unique legacy,” Brownridge claimed.

“I’m fortunate to be following Torsten as CEO. Through his vision and ambition for the brand over 14 years, Rolls-Royce is today in an exceptionally strong position, and full of confidence for the future. I’m absolutely delighted to be part of the Rolls‑Royce story and look forward to embracing the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for us all,” he ended.

Photos from Rolls-Royce

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