Warren East, the chief executive with a penchant for playing a church organ, is leaving Rolls-Royce, eight years after he was parachuted in as chief executive to navigate Britain’s aerospace champion through what turned out to be the most turbulent period in its 116-year history.
On his second day at Rolls-Royce the Welshman was forced to issue a profit warning – the fourth of what would become five in a 20-month period – and presided over a record £4.6bn loss in his second year.
