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It is probably a good idea these days to place a financial expert at the helm of Rolls-Royce Deutschland. The company currently prides itself on an order book of EUR3.5 billion and sales of EUR1.05 billion in 2001. However, new orders for the BR715 engine, which powers Boeing's 717 airliner, are not exactly booming - and a setback for the RTM322 engine appears to be imminent as the German defence ministry considers a reduction in the number of NH90 transport helicopters it plans to procure. There can be no doubt that difficult times lie ahead for Axel Arendt, who took over as chairman of RR-D in November. Arendt (53), who also became a member of the Group Executive of British parent company Rolls-Royce plc, comes from EADS, where he had been Chief Financial Officer. Equipped with degrees in mechanical engineering and business administration, he began his career in 1979 at Daimler-Benz. He was sent to the board of Mercedes-Benz Mexico in 1990, where he was responsible for finance, controlling and logistics. Four years later he became President of Mercedes-Benz Argentina and later on President of Mercedes-Benz Turkey. In 2000, Arendt returned to Germany - and swapped the car and commercial vehicle business for aerospace. He was appointed Head of Finance and Controlling at DaimlerChrysler Aerospace (Dasa) and soon afterwards became CFO at EADS. He is married and has three children.