In January 1975 Mr. T. A. Hill the founder of the Company and his co-founder and the Company Secretary Mr. A. Birks resigned and retired (but continued with a minority shareholding). A new board of directors was formed and for the first time Rolls-Royce appointed one of their own directors, Mr G. R. (Roy) Torrance, as non executive Company Chairman. It soon became clear that Rolls-Royce intended to play a closer role in determining the policies of the Company than they had done in the past.