Former Beauty-Care Branding Expert Joins Opel Board

VIENNA – Adam Opel names Tina Mueller, 44, chief marketing officer and member of the board of management responsible for brand management, effective Aug. 1.

With the newly created board function, Opel underscores the importance of brand management as a pivotal element of the General Motors subsidiary’s strategy.

Mueller, a native of Germany, comes from the beauty-care industry. She began her career at L'Oréal Germany, then moved to cosmetics maker Wella before spending 17 years with Henkel. As corporate senior vice president, she most recently was responsible for the beauty-care division’s Western Europe region.

Mueller made a significant contribution to the strong growth of Henkel’s brand portfolio, particularly as chief marketing officer for the tradition-rich brand Schwarzkopf brand’s global business in hair cosmetics, body, facial and oral care.

“With her valuable experience in the brand-driven consumer-goods industry, Tina Mueller will have a major impact on the Opel brand," Opel CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann says in a prepared statement. "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.”

Opel Supervisory Board Chairman Steve Girsky says in a statement, “After the successful launch of our latest models, a key to future success is to modernize, profile and emotionalize the brand.”

Duncan Aldred, 43, previously responsible for marketing, remains acting GM Europe vice president-sales and aftersales Opel/Vauxhall, as well as chairman and managing director of Vauxhall in the U.K.

Aldred replaced Alfred Rieck as Opel’s head of sales and marketing on an interim basis in January.