Robb leaves BMW

[walt3022]

Ash on Bikes has reported that Robb has departed very unexpectedly from BMW. There's much speculation, but apparently few facts known about the circumstances surrounding his leaving.

[mariettaman29661]

Ash on Bikes has reported that Robb has departed very unexpectedly from BMW. There's much speculation, but apparently few facts known about the circumstances surrounding his leaving.

I'm sorry, but I'm wondering who Robb is, and "BMW", as in the motorcycle, a dealership or?
Thanks.

[lmo1131]

Always nice to provide a link... http://ashonbikes.com/content/david-robb-out-bmw

[widebmw]

Jeff Dean reported that Laurence Kuykendall is gone also.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/bmw-r...er-bmw-na.html

[mika]

Interesting development.

The 'shroud of secrecy' is normal SOP for BMW with both departures and promotions. To much should not be read into that.

Robb may be a victim of his own argument.

ÔÇ£We had 19 models covering just two and a half market segments, and we were fighting ourselves for these sectors.ÔÇØ

A debate with BMW MotorradÔÇÖs General Director Hendrik von K??nheim over the Lo Rider Concept may be a contributing factor but the stage that debate was held on was much larger than one product line. My guess is the stage was the direction of product development and marketing for BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna. At the Milan show von K??nheim a new plan for Husqvarna would be rolled out over the next year and beyond. Reading between the lines implied a new relationship between the two marques. How that relationship will be defined and who will carry it out into the future resulted in this. The Director seems to like input but once he makes a decision you best fall in line. Designers by nature like curves.

At least that is my guess and what I will be telling the guys down at the Official Fly-Over-Land coffee shop.

[36654]

Interesting development.

The 'shroud of secrecy' is normal SOP for BMW with both departures and promotions. To much should not be read into that.

How long was Robb in his position at BMW? For the past few decades, the corporation does seem to cycle "talent" to avoid product complacency. IMHO

[Texpaul]

Like him (and his designs) or not, Robb was a major influence. His departure will likely bring in a new design philosophy. It will be interesting (?) to see where BMW goes from here. It will also be interesting to see where Rob goes after BMW.

[greenwald]

Sorry to see him go. Afterall, Robb brought us the R1200RT, a bike to which I have a certain affinity.

After so many years at the helm of his design team (1993-2011), not sure where BMW is headed off to this time?!

The winds of economic change seem to blow from unpredictable directions these days - time will tell.

[Walking Eagle]

ALL CORPORATIONS ARE DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES. ALL. This "run" was extraordinarily long for any Corporate Exec these days. . .

DAMHIK.

Walking Eagle

[36654]

A periodic rotation of talent at all levels is good. Once a lead person becomes a fixture in a position, it's sometimes hard to achieve innovative change due to the baggage of past decisions.

[sfarson]

Interesting development.

The 'shroud of secrecy' is normal SOP for BMW with both departures and promotions. To much should not be read into that.

Robb may be a victim of his own argument.

ÔÇ£We had 19 models covering just two and a half market segments, and we were fighting ourselves for these sectors.ÔÇØ
...

Yes, interesting. A lot of product line overlap. Not that there is a complete overlap, but there is some product cannibalization. BMW volume may be up, but I doubt profit is keeping pace.

[lkchris]

Seems to me a lot of the "drama" was manufactured by the author of the article.

Just because he's not aware of something doesn't make it a monster secret. I he's an "insider" it's in his own mind, only. When is excrutiating data ever published regarding a changing of the guard?

As for BMW profit, don't think we have any data on that, either, but I sure wouldn't be one to "guess" that it's down.

[WalterK75]

It's also possible that Robb retired to have a life. Maybe he wanted to ride his BMW motorcycle more.

[GREGFEELER]

A periodic rotation of talent at all levels is good. Once a lead person becomes a fixture in a position, it's sometimes hard to achieve innovative change due to the baggage of past decisions.

OR...in the name of arbitrary change for the sake of change you could loose a visionary genius and get a uninspired bureaucrat instead.

[sfarson]

...
As for BMW profit, don't think we have any data on that, either, but I sure wouldn't be one to "guess" that it's down.

True. It may not be. But if I had to guess... years of being in related businesses, line extensions do tend to grow the business by X, but rarely do the profits follow by the same amount of X. All those extra marketing efforts, retooled factory lines, parts stocked, catalogs, etc. and etc. Plus, with something like the 1200GT eating into 1200RT volume, and vice versa, costs increase as volume is spread among more products.