WSJ Leadership Institute Presents Leaders Rolls-Royce CEO Tufan Erginbilgiç Shares His Playbook for Success
Oct 6, 2025
Tufan Erginbilgiç, CEO of Rolls-Royce who led a major corporate turnaround and now guides aerospace and nuclear strategy. He discusses choosing small modular reactors and clear-market technologies over speculative electric projects. He outlines a granular transformation playbook with leadership changes, cascaded strategic initiatives, and a culture of transparency and pace.
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From Submarines To Nuclear Reactors
- Rolls‑Royce leveraged its submarine nuclear skills to pursue small modular reactors (SMR).
- Tufan positioned the company as a first mover in SMR and advanced reactors using existing nuclear capabilities.
Transformation = Point A To Point B
- Transformation means moving a company from point A to a fundamentally different point B where it can do things it couldn't before.
- That requires changing both what the company does and how it does it across capabilities, balance sheet, and culture.
SAF Is Aviation's Near‑Term Solution
- Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is the only practical decarbonization path for long‑haul commercial aviation in the next 20 years.
- Rolls‑Royce made all its engines SAF compatible and improved efficiency with the Ultrafan engine.