BMW Shuffles Board

BMW announces a strategic realignment of its board of management, saying future challenges call for the reorganization.

A rigorous implementation of BMW’s “Strategy Number One” will place even further demands on the company, Chairman Norbert Reithofer says. The initiative aims to boost BMW sales to more than 2 million units a year by 2020.

“We need an organization that can handle the increasing complexity of the tasks involved to ensure that the BMW Group maintains its successful course,” Reithofer says in a statement.

To do this, he says, structures and responsibilities within the management board are being reorganized, effective April 1.

Klaus Draeger, now responsible for research and development, and Herbert Diess, in charge of the purchasing and supplier network, are swapping jobs.

Ian Robertson takes over marketing and sales for the BMW brand and its BMW M and BMW i sub-brands, as well as the BMW Group distribution channels.

Harald Krüger will remain responsible for human resources and continue as labor relations director until June 30, when Spanish-born Milagros Caiña-Andree joins the board and takes over the two roles. She now is head of human resources in the transport and logistics division of Deutsche Bahn Group and the board member responsible for human resources at Schenker.

With Caiña-Andree onboard, Krüger will manage a newly formed division with responsibility for Mini, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, including the product lines and marketing and sales for each.

He also will be in charge of expanding the BMW Group’s aftersales business, a key focus of the auto maker’s Strategy Number One.

There will be no changes in the finance and production divisions. Management board members Friedrich Eichiner (finance) and Frank-Peter Arndt (production) will retain responsibility for their current divisions.