Arthur Willmann

Managing Director Porsche Asia Pacific.

- Jeremy Chua

ARTHUR Willmann is one of the few people who can say that their job is the one they were destined for since birth.

Born and raised in Stuttgart, the 35-year-old German recalls riding in his parents’ car and passing the Porsche factory on many occasions. His parents even explained what the conveying bridge that connects Plant 2 to Plant 5 is for.

Looking back on it now, Arthur says that the fact that his childhood home was closer to Porsche than to the other Stuttgart-based carmaker (Mercedes-Benz) was perhaps a hint of things to come.

Arthur first worked at Porsche as an intern in 2005. At the time, he was still a student at the University of Hohenheim, where he studied business administration and economics.

After graduating, he joined Porsche’s Digital Marketing department in 2007 and stayed there for four years. During that period, Arthur was part of the team that created the Porsche Facebook page, the first official one from a car manufacturer.

From 2011 to 2014, Arthur worked as the marketing manager for Overseas and Emerging Markets. Following that, he had a three-year stint as Porsche’s director for Asia Pacific, Japan, Australia and South Korea.

Arthur chats with Torque about what he wants to achieve at Porsche Asia Pacific, the carmaker’s move to Formula E, and why he thinks the brand will always be known as a sports car manufacturer.

Did your past work experience make you a natural fit for this role?