London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 03, 2025

Engine maker Rolls Royce hires first woman chair in its 115 years

Engine maker Rolls Royce hires first woman chair in its 115 years

Two of the world’s most prestigious engineering brands were in new hands today as Rolls-Royce brought in its first ever female chair and supercar-maker Ferrari appointed a new chief executive.
The British engine manufacturer has hired Anita Frew as the first woman to head the board in its 115-year history on a £490,000 pay packet.

Frew, 63, who currently chairs chemicals group Croda and is a non-executive director at FTSE100 listed miner BHP, will succeed incumbent Sir Ian Davis when he retires in October after nine years.

She has previously worked as a director at advertising group WPP with its founder Sir Martin Sorrell and has held board appointments in the UK and globally for the past 20 years, with recent former roles including deputy chair at Lloyds Banking Group.

Sir Kevin Smith, senior independent director at Rolls, said: “She brings a wealth of experience from two decades of board appointments both in the UK and internationally, and her skills and reputation with investors and government institutions will be invaluable to the group.”

Frew takes over as the group continues to take a pounding from the pandemic grounding of planes.

Led by chief executive Warren East, it has cut 9,000 jobs — a fifth of the workforce — and tapped investors for £7.3 billion via new share releases and bond issues last year.

Sir Kevin Smith, senior independent director, said Frew had emerged as the “outstanding candidate” and would bring a “wealth of experience from two decades of board appointments both in the UK and internationally.”

Meanwhile, Ferrari today named a semiconductor specialist as its CEO.

The surprise appointment of Benedetto Vigna, an Italian, ends a search which began late last year when Louis Camilleri stepped down having been hospitalised with Covid-19.

Vigna is a physics graduate who has spent the last 26 years at chip maker STMicroelectronics .

His team was among pioneers of the "three axis gyroscope" that debuted in the Apple iPhone 4, which allows the screen to adapt to portrait or landscape format as users turned the handset.

Coincidentally, Apple guru Jony Ive had also been tipped to take Ferrari’s reins, alongside Fiat Chrysler’s chief executive Mike Manley and Lamborghini boss Stefano Domenicali
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
Investigations Reveal Rise in ‘Sex-for-Rent’ Listings Across Canada Exploiting Vulnerable Tenants
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
Ukrainian Nationalist Politician Andriy Parubiy Assassinated in Lviv
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
×