Kevin Morley

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Kevin Thomas Morley (born May 1950), is a Liverpool born businessman, known for being the former managing director, sales and marketing of the former Rover Group. [1]

Holding an MSc from the University of Surrey and Master of Business Administration from Aston University, [2] Morley joined Ford UK in 1977, and during a nine-year career achieved 11 promotions. [3]

Morley joined the Austin Rover Group in 1986 as marketing director under Canadian Graham Day, [4] where his first project was the Rover 200 Mk2/R8 in 1989. Morley was appointed managing director, sales and marketing of the Rover Car Group five years later, the company had a turnover of £3.2 billion and a staff of 1100. [3] In 1991, Morley appeared in Rowan Atkinson's mockumentary, The Driven Man, speaking about the relationship people have with the car as a construct. [5]

After leaving Rover in 1992, Morley set up Kevin Morley Marketing, whose sole client was Rover Group. Having described the motor marketing as a "bunch of expensive lunch-bandits," in 1995 Morley sold the company to Lintas. [6]

Morley has been a director of dfs Plc, Flying Flowers, Jacobs Holdings; and founding member of the Advisory Board of Jon Moulton's Venture Capital company Alchemy Partners. [3]

Morley is a Chairman of several private companies, and Senior non-executive director of Stadium Group.He became chairman and head of Young Driver in 2009 and appeared both on the television and radio promoting it.

[3] Morley is Honorary Professor of Business Studies at University of Warwick. [7]

In March 2009, Morley appeared on Channel 4's reality television show Secret Millionaire, where working as a volunteer among community projects in Haringey, North London, he donated £250,000. [8]

Married with two children, Morley and his family live in Slinfold, Horsham. His cars include a Ferrari 599 GTB.

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References

  1. "Kevin Thomas MORLEY personal appointments - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  2. "Kevin Morley". University of Warwick . Retrieved 22 March 2009.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Kevin Morley". speakers.co.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
  4. "Kevin Morley". ifabonus.co.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
  5. Archive Oddball (15 September 2019). The Driven Man . Retrieved 8 January 2025 via YouTube.
  6. "Rover's linchpin contemplates life without Kevin". Campaign. 9 June 1995. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
  7. "Rover's Return". Daily Mirror . 18 July 2006. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
  8. "Secret Millionaire". unrealitytv.co.uk. Archived from the original on 27 March 2009. Retrieved 23 March 2009.