Tina Müller (44) has today been appointed Member of the Board of Management, responsible for Brand Management, and Chief Marketing Officer at Adam Opel AG, effective August 1, 2013. With the newly created board function, Opel underscores the importance of brand management as a pivotal element of the company’s strategy.
“After the successful launch of our latest models, a key to future success is to modernize, profile and emotionalize the brand,” said Opel Supervisory Board Chairman Steve Girsky. “We are delighted to have acquired a renowned expert for this task with Tina Müller.”
“With her valuable experience in the brand-driven consumer goods industry, Tina Müller will have a major impact on the Opel brand,” says Opel CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann. “The new role of Chief Marketing Officer within the Executive Board and the separation of marketing and sales show the high importance we attach to the subject of brand management. We will give the brand back the shine it deserves.”
Duncan Aldred (43), previously responsible for marketing, stays Acting GME Vice President, Sales & Aftersales Opel/Vauxhall and Chairman and Managing Director of Vauxhall Motors. “In the highly competitive European market, Duncan Aldred can now concentrate on sales and aftersales,” said Dr. Neumann.
Dr. Thomas Sedran (48), currently member of the Executive Board responsible for Operations, Business Development and Corporate Strategy, takes over as President and Managing Director of Chevrolet Europe in Zurich, effective July 1. “We thank Thomas Sedran for his outstanding work on the Opel Board and are pleased that he is taking the lead at Chevrolet in Europe,” says Girsky. “As chief of strategy, Thomas Sedran made a significant contribution to the development of our ten year plan DRIVE! 2022 – not only with a number of measures to reduce costs, but also with many initiatives to raise the profile of the brand and stimulate growth, such as our return to football sponsorship and motorsport.”
Mark Adams (51), Executive Director, Global Cadillac and Buick Design and GME Vice President, Design, will repatriate to Germany and assume the position of GME Vice President, Design. In addition, Mark will be the Champion for Opel/Buick brand strategies and design language. “This move will provide an increased emphasis on joint strategies across Opel/Vauxhall and Buick,” said Dr. Neumann.
About Tina Müller:
Tina Müller began her career at L’Oréal Germany and then moved to Wella AG. She then worked with Henkel KGaA for 17 years. As Corporate Senior Vice President, she was most recently responsible for the region of Western Europe in the Beauty Care division. Tina Müller also made a significant contribution to the strong growth of the brand portfolio, particularly the tradition-rich brand Schwarzkopf, as chief marketing officer for its global business in hair cosmetics, body, facial and oral care. She is a widely recognized brand expert. In 2010 she was named “European Chief Marketing Officer of the Year” (Booz Company). Tina Müller has also been named “Marketing Manager of the Year” three times by the magazine “W & V”.
About Dr. Thomas Sedran:
Dr. Thomas Sedran was named Member of the Management Board of Adam Opel AG on April 1, 2012, in charge of Operations, Business Development & Corporate Strategy.
Sedran had been in charge of automotive business affairs for the Munich-based global management consultants AlixPartners since 2006. In this position he worked very closely with Opel/Vauxhall. At Opel he was responsible for developing and implementing business strategies for the long term growth of the company in Europe and beyond.
Born on October 13, 1964 in Augsburg (Germany), Sedran has spent most of his career as a management consultant. Before his time at AlixPartners, he worked for Roland Berger Strategy Consultants for over ten years, where his last position was as global head of the Competence Center Automotive.
He has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Hohenheim, Germany, and a Ph.D. from the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, Germany.
About Mark Adams:
Mark Adams has been Executive Director, Global Cadillac and Buick Design and GME Vice President, Design, since August 2012. Prior to this assignment, he had been GM Europe Vice President Design since June 1, 2007. In this capacity, he headed the newly established GM Europe design organization, including the Rüsselsheim-based GM Europe Design Center. He was responsible for the design of GM’s European brands Opel, Vauxhall and Saab, as well as certain Saturn products in North America.
Adams served in a series of chief designer positions at Ford Motor Company before joining General Motors in September 2002 as Director Exterior Design for the Opel brand. He was responsible for the exterior design of successful models such as the Astra GTC, Zafira, Astra TwinTop, Antara, Corsa and for the design language of Opel and Saab vehicles. In 2004, Adams became Director of Exterior Design for GM Europe and was responsible for the exterior design of all Opel, Saab and Vauxhall vehicles.
Mark Adams was born in London, U.K., on December 11, 1961. He studied both Engineering and Design. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree with honors in Mechanical Engineering (vehicle option) and a Master of Arts degree in Automotive Design from the Royal College of Art in London.
