Rolls-Royce brings Bell back from Boeing to boss defence arm

Rolls-Royce has lured Tom Bell back from Boeing to lead its enlarged defence business in a further shake-up at the aerospace group.

Bell joined Boeing from Rolls-Royce in 2015 and is senior vice president of global sales and marketing for defence, space and security at the US company. He will replace Chris Cholerton as president of defence as Cholerton moves across to head the civil aerospace division.

The appointments will take place in February and both men will report to Warren East, Rolls-Royce's chief executive. East has spent his more than two years in charge overhauling the company after a series of profit warnings exposed a cumbersome bureaucracy and slowness in responding to market changes.

East said: "Tom brings with him valuable experience of the wider defence industry from his time within the leadership of a fully integrated global defence company. Chris has a thorough understanding of all aspects of the (aerospace) business, from engineering, product development and supply chain infrastructure, to operational and service delivery."

Earlier in January Rolls-Royce said it was considering selling its commercial marine business in a further effort to simplify the company and build a bigger defence operation. It plans to fold the naval marine and submarine lines into the defence business.

Cholerton will replace Eric Schulz, whose departure to head commercial sales at Airbus was announced in November.