Munich. The Supervisory Board of BMW AG has appointed Dr Raymond Wittmann (47) as a new member of the Board of Management at its meeting today. He will assume responsibility for Production when Milan Nedeljkovic takes over as Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG at the end of the Annual General Meeting on May 13.

Raymond Wittmann has been with the BMW Group since 2015 and has been responsible for Corporate Strategy and Corporate Development since 2024. Previously, he held several management positions in various divisions, including Head of Assembly at the Munich plant, CFO of the Americas sales region, and Project Manager for the establishment of the production site in San Luis Potosí (Mexico). Raymond Wittmann holds a PhD in aerospace engineering. Before joining the BMW Group, he worked as a partner at an international strategic consultancy.

“Raymond Wittmann combines strategic thinking with operational excellence and business responsibility. With his broad, cross-divisional experience and international perspective, he has the key qualities for leading the production division,” said Dr. Nicolas Peter, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of BMW AG. “Raymond Wittmann complements the future Board of Management team led by Milan Nedeljkovic with the right strengths and skills. The Supervisory Board is very confident that the Board of Management, in its new composition, will continue to drive the success of the BMW Group in the future.”

If you have any questions, please contact:

BMW Group Corporate Communications

Max-Morten Borgmann, Head of Corporate, Finance, and Sales Communications

Telephone: +49 89 382-24118

Email: Max-Morten.Borgmann@bmw.de

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2024, the BMW Group sold over 2.45 million passenger vehicles and more than 210,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2023 was € 17.1 billion on revenues amounting to € 155.5 billion. As of 31 December 2023, the BMW Group had a workforce of 154,950 employees.

The economic success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. Sustainability is a key element of the BMW Group’s corporate strategy and covers all products from the supply chain and production to the end of their useful life.

www.bmwgroup.com

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Munich. A clear strategy, fascinating products and competent leadership are decisive factors for the attractiveness of employers today. Especially in times of global and economic uncertainty, the BMW Group proves to be a reliable partner for its employees. Numerous recent studies confirm this and have once again recognised the BMW Group as one of the most attractive employers in 2025.

14 years at the top: BMW Group once again the most popular employer

In the Trendence Professionals Barometer 2025, the BMW Group achieved first place for the 14th time in a row. This study is one of the leading surveys on employer attractiveness and is based on a survey of around 18,000 academics in Germany. The BMW Group also once again achieved top positions in other renowned rankings such as Universum's "Most Attractive Employers in Europe" and the international Forbes ranking "World's Best Employers".

Responsibility, strategy and courage

"You don't become the best employer by yourself. For us, it's about more than awards: We are facing one of the biggest changes in our industry - electromobility, digitalisation and artificial intelligence. Anyone who chooses the BMW Group relies on responsible behaviour, a clear strategy and the courage to try something new. This is exactly what makes us strong. We are looking for people who not only want to manage, but also to shape - people who are ready to make the future of individual mobility electric, digital and circular with us," emphasises Ilka Horstmeier, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Human Resources and Real Estate, Labour Director.

Attractive prospects and benefits

The BMW Group offers its employees not only premium products, but also exciting fields of work in future topics such as artificial intelligence, electromobility and digitalisation. This is complemented by above-average remuneration, extensive additional benefits, mobility and health offers as well as a wide range of opportunities for personal and professional development.

Top international positions

The BMW Group is also one of the top employers internationally. In the current ranking of the "Most Attractive Employers in Europe 2025" by study provider Universum, in which over 64,000 students from six major European economic nations took part, the BMW Group ranks seventh worldwide among prospective engineers. Among students in the fields of IT and business, the company ranks among the top 18 employers worldwide. In addition, the BMW Group was honoured with fifth place in the global Forbes survey "World's Best Employers 2025", which is based on the responses of 300,000 professionals from 50 countries. This makes the BMW Group not only the best automotive player in this international ranking, but also the best-placed German and European company.

Outstanding results in other national studies

The BMW Group also achieved outstanding results in other national studies:

• In the Trendence Graduate Barometer 2025, the company maintains the top position in engineering and secures a strong third place among business graduates.
• In terms of IT skills, the BMW Group remains the highest-ranking automotive company and ranks sixth overall - just behind the major US tech players.
• In the Trendence Student Barometer, the BMW Group improves from third to second place and is once again rated as the most popular automotive employer.
• Among the highly sought-after specialists, the BMW Group defends its top position in the Trendence Skilled Labour Barometer 2025, which is based on a survey of 21,000 employees in Germany.

Internal satisfaction confirms external perception

The external perception is in line with the results of the internal employee survey: 92 per cent of BMW Group employees are proud to be part of the company and 87 per cent would recommend the BMW Group as an employer.

These top figures once again confirm the results of the employee surveys of previous years and also emphasise the attractiveness of the BMW Group as an employer.

Talents welcome

Young talents and experienced professionals in future competences such as artificial intelligence, software development and data science will find exciting challenges at the BMW Group and can apply at any time. Interested talents can find out what working at the BMW Group is like and what entry opportunities and vacancies are available on the BMW Group careers pages as well as on the BMW Group Careers social media channels:

BMWho?

What's Next

Artificial Intelligence at the BMW Group

If you have any questions, please contact:

BMW Group Corporate Communications

Dr Hans-Peter Ketterl

Spokesman Human Resources and Member of the Board of Management Human Resources and Real Estate

Tel: +49-89-382-23923

Mail: Hans-Peter.Ketterl@bmwgroup.com

Bernd Eckstein

Head of Communications for HR, Real Estate, Culture, Corporate Citizenship

Phone: +49-89-382-59490

Email: Bernd.Eckstein@bmwgroup.com

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2024, the BMW Group sold over 2.45 million passenger vehicles and more than 210,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2024 was € 11.0 billion on revenues amounting to € 142.4 billion. As of 31 December 2024, the BMW Group had a workforce of 159,104 employees.

The economic success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. Sustainability is a key element of the BMW Group’s corporate strategy and covers all products from the supply chain and production to the end of their useful life.

www.bmwgroup.com

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/bmw-group/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/bmwgroup

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroup

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmwgroup

X: https://www.x.com/bmwgroup

Lino Braz integra a BMW Portugal desde início da operação em 2004. Construiu ao longo destes 20 anos um percurso consistente na área do Após-Venda, começando na área técnica entre 2004 e 2008. Entre 2008 e 2023 desempenhou a função de Area Manager de Após-venda, assumindo em 2023 novas responsabilidades em Corporate After Sales, onde tem contribuído para o desenvolvimento e implementação das estratégias nacionais da marca.

Engenheiro Mecânico e profissional do setor automóvel desde 1996, Lino Braz destaca-se pela vasta experiência técnica, pela proximidade à rede e pela visão integrada do negócio. Apaixonado por motos, combina conhecimento profundo, experiência operacional e entusiasmo pelo universo das duas rodas.

Na nova função, será responsável por reforçar a estratégia da BMW Motorrad em Portugal, fortalecendo a ligação com clientes, parceiros e a comunidade motociclística.

Munich.  2025 sees the Bavarian capital host the annual One Young World Summit, a top conference of young leaders from across the globe. With delegates from 196 countries, the Summit is one of the few global events to bring young people from all continents together and offer them a platform. It is now being hosted by the City of Munich – for a second time. With its special mix of tradition, innovation and quality of life, Munich is the ideal place to pursue the shared goal of developing innovative and visionary solutions to social challenges.

Ilka Horstmeier, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for HR and Real Estate, said: “The One Young World Summit 2025 in Munich brings together young leaders from across the globe to inspire and connect. For us at the BMW Group, social responsibility extends far beyond our products and organisation: by supporting One Young World, we foster responsible leadership and encourage young people to take a stand and remain committed to resolving the challenges of the future.”

BMW Group fosters young leaders

A premium partner of One Young World, the BMW Group plays an active role in the event series. It sees itself as an integral part of society and supports the development of solutions to meet global challenges. One aspect of this consists of fostering a generation of future leaders dedicated to achieving a responsible, just and forward-looking society. Since 2016 the BMW Group has had its own delegation of committed young leaders aged between 18 and 30 at the four-day forum, which it sees as an opportunity to contribute to a better future. This year it will once again be staging the closing ceremony at BMW Welt – a symbol of technology, design and emotional experiences.

Driving change together

The One Young World Summit is an invitation to debate social, business and environmental issues, share knowledge and experience, ask critical questions and make lasting connections. The aim is to enable talented and ambitious young people to actively drive change. Delegates come from a variety of backgrounds, from business and science to NGOs. It’s in this diversity and passionate commitment that the BMW Group sees the potential of the international conference.

With a BMW Group delegation of more than 50 people, this year’s event will focus on education, the circular economy, responsible tech, combating hatred, and on peace and security. For even more impetus and different perspectives, a range of influential figures from business, politics, sport and culture will make guest appearances. One of them will be Philipp Lahm, former captain of the German national football team and 2014 football World Champion. He will be talking to Ilka Horstmeier at the opening ceremony of the Summit on 3 November in Munich’s Olympic Hall.

Education is key

In a podium discussion during the four-day conference, Ilka Horstmeier will explore how effective leadership can help restore trust in institutions, science and democracy, and the key role of education in this. Her panellists will be His Excellency Miguel Ángel Moratinos, Under-General-Secretary of the United Nations and High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations (UNAOC), and Gabriela de la Torre, responsible for gifted and talented education at the Mexican Ministry of Education and General Director of the Programa Adopted un Talento (Adopt a Talent Programme, PAUTA), which is dedicated to providing extra-curricular activities to support children and young people across Mexico looking to pursue a career in the sciences.

The BMW Group has long been committed to educational initiatives at its various sites, and a million children and young people have already benefited. Its longstanding collaboration with the UNAOC primarily fosters grass-roots initiatives to develop their knowledge of STEM subjects (sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics), which are important foundations to careers in exactly the areas that enable participation in global growth.

In addition, the BMW Group will invite delegates at the conference to join an interactive workshop on the circular economy. Participants will learn more about how the principles of circularity can be integrated into business ideas to help save resources and CO₂ emissions.

If you have any questions, please contact:

BMW Group Corporate Communications

Dr Hans-Peter Ketterl
Spokesperson for HR and for the Member of the Board of Management for HR and Real Estate
Tel: +49-89-382-23923
Email: Hans-Peter.Ketterl@bmwgroup.com

Bernd Eckstein
Head of Communications for HR, Real Estate, Culture, Corporate Citizenship
Tel: +49-89-382-59490
Email: Bernd.Eckstein@bmwgroup.com

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2024, the BMW Group sold over 2.45 million passenger vehicles and more than 210,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2024 was € 11.0 billion on revenues amounting to € 142.4 billion. As of 31 December 2024, the BMW Group had a workforce of 159,104 employees.

The economic success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. Sustainability is a key element of the BMW Group’s corporate strategy and covers all products from the supply chain and production to the end of their useful life.

www.bmwgroup.com

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/bmw-group/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/bmwgroup

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroup

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmwgroup

X: https://www.x.com/bmwgroup

Rui Pais iniciou o seu percurso no BMW Group em Portugal em 2004 como Product Manager da BMW, tendo em 2007 assumido as funções de Sales & Marketing Area Manager. Em 2019, passou a liderar a equipa de Corporate & Direct Sales da BMW/MINI e, desde abril de 2024, desempenha o cargo de Senior Manager da BMW Motorrad em Portugal, onde tem contribuído de forma decisiva para os resultados da marca no mercado nacional.

Com uma carreira marcada pelo compromisso e pelo sucesso nas diferentes áreas de negócio, Rui Pais traz para esta nova função um vasto conhecimento do setor automóvel e da realidade da BMW em Portugal, reforçando o compromisso do BMW Group em alcançar resultados sólidos e sustentados. 

Rui Pais assumirá a nova função a partir de 1 de janeiro de 2026.

Munich. The BMW Group today announced senior management changes in its Sales and Finance Divisions: Jean-Philippe Parain, who currently serves as Head of the Sales Region Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa for the BMW Group, will assume responsibility for the MINI brand as of 1 October 2025.

Parain brings a wealth of international experience to the role and will be tasked with building on MINI's current momentum. Jean-Philippe Parain joined the company in 1997 at BMW France in the marketing department. Jean-Philippe Parain has held several senior management roles including President and CEO BMW Group Belux, Head of MINI Europe and Head of Sales Region Europe. Under his leadership, the Sales Region Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa saw particularly strong growth and reached segment leadership for the premium brands BMW and MINI.

”We are convinced that Jean-Philippe Parain, with his leadership experience and sales expertise, will help MINI build on the strong foundation of the new model family and realise the brand's great potential in coming years,” said Jochen Goller, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Customer, Brands and Sales.

Stefan Richmann, currently Head of the MINI brand, will take on the role of Head of Treasury and Investor Relations for the BMW Group, effective

1 October 2025. Under Stefan Richmann's leadership, MINI has seen a strong sales increase by about 25% per August 2025 compared to the previous year, with the new MINI model lineup resonating strongly with customers around the world. Especially the all-electric MINI models saw significant growth during the year.

"Stefan Richmann has done an outstanding job in steering the MINI brand into the future and positioning it for continued growth and success," said Jochen Goller.

As Head of BMW Group Treasury, Stefan Richmann will be responsible for the financing activities of the BMW Group, including liquidity management, pension investment and financial risk management. Additionally, BMW Group Investor Relations, as part of his responsibility, serve as the interface to the capital market.

“I’m looking forward to welcoming Stefan Richmann in his new position as Head of Treasury. Stefan’s financial expertise and strategic vision make him the ideal candidate to bring the BMW Group Treasury and Investor Relations to the next level", said Walter Mertl, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Finance.

Stefan Richmann began his career at the BMW Group in 1997. Since then, he has held numerous managerial positions within the company. From 2008, Stefan Richmann was responsible for BMW Spain finances as CFO. He returned to Munich at the end of 2010, where he fulfilled several further management roles in the Finance and Controlling division and Product Management at BMW Group headquarters. From 2017, Stefan Richmann served as CFO of BMW North-America and later as Head of BMW Financial Services America. In April 2022, he took over as head of the Corporate Strategy division, and in 2024 as head of the MINI brand.

Ritu Chandy, currently Head of BMW Group Treasury, will succeed Jean-Philippe Parain as Head of the BMW Group Sales Region Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa on 1 October 2025.

Ritu Chandy began her career with the BMW Group in 2001 at BMW Australia and has held senior management roles across BMW Group’s global footprint including CFO for BMW Group Financial Services of North America and CEO of the BMW Group Financial Services Asia-Pacific Region before relocating to Munich in April 2022 for her current position. In this role, Ritu Chandy has driven change in capital market interaction and earned widespread respect with financial market stakeholders for her transparency, strategic approach and unwavering dedication. 

“We are confident that Ritu Chandy, with her drive and strength in successfully managing heterogeneous markets, will continue to build on the strong sales performance in the region. I would like to thank Ritu, who has worked tirelessly to strengthen the BMW Group's reputation in the financial market and, together with her teams, has driven forward process improvements in Group Treasury," said Walter Mertl.

Her appointment as Head of the Sales Region Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa for the BMW Group comes into effect as of 1 October2025. Based on her previous roles, Ritu Chandy has comprehensive knowledge and experience with the region that will enable her to drive sales across this portfolio spanning numerous markets and cultures.

"Ritu Chandy’s appointment brings a leader with a unique blend of financial acumen and deep regional expertise to a key pillar of our global footprint," said Jochen Goller.

The Board of Management wishes all three senior managers much success in their new roles.

BMW Group Corporate Communications

Micaela Sandstede, Head of Communications MINI

Telephone: +49 176 601 61611

Email: micaela.sandstede@mini.com

Dr Sina Unger, Communications Sales

Telephone: +49 151 601 47564

Email: sina.unger@bmwgroup.com

Max-Morten Borgmann, Head of Communications BMW Group, Finance, Sales

Telephone: +49 89 382-24118

Email: max-morten.borgmann@bmwgroup.com

Media website: https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

Email: presse@bmwgroup.com

The BMW Group

With its four brands, BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2024, the BMW Group sold 2.45 million passenger vehicles and more than 210,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2024 was € 11.0 billion on revenues amounting to € 142.4 billion. As of 31 December 2024, the BMW Group had a workforce of 159,104 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. Sustainability is a key component of the BMW Group’s corporate strategy – from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products. 

www.bmwgroup.com

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/bmw-group/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/bmwgroup

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroup

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmwgroup

X: https://www.x.com/bmwgroup

Rosslyn, Tshwane. BMW Group South Africa marked a notable milestone, hosting key national leadership, including the President of the Republic of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, accompanied by the Premier of Gauteng Province, Panyaza Lesufi, at BMW Group Plant Rosslyn on Thursday, 24 July.

The landmark visit, which saw the participation of Milan Nedeljković, Chairman of BMW South Africa and Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Production, and Ilka Horstmeier, Labour Relations Director and Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for People and Real Estate, as part of their broader engagements in South Africa, highlighted the strong and active partnership between the BMW Group and the South African government in advancing industrial growth and economic empowerment.

“The achievements at BMW Group Plant Rosslyn, especially its path towards record production volumes and its crucial role in our global BMW X3 production, are a source of great pride”, comments Milan Nedeljković. “Our significant investment in electrification here demonstrates our long-term belief in South Africa as a key manufacturing hub within our global network, driving innovation, skills and sustainable growth for the region.”

Showcasing local excellence and commitment. 

The visit provided a valuable opportunity to spotlight BMW Group South Africa’s recent successes and plans. BMW Group Plant Rosslyn is set to achieve its highest annual production volume in 52 years, reflecting strong global demand and the BMW Group’s confidence in local manufacturing capabilities. This performance is underpinned by continuous investment, notably the R4.2 billion allocated for the electrification of BMW Group Plant Rosslyn. The locally produced BMW X3 recently earned critical acclaim, winning the Old Mutual Insure 2025 South African Car of the Year and the Premium category awards, highlighting its strength and market appeal. BMW Group South Africa’s strong Q2 performance indicates its leadership in the premium segment, with customer demand and its electrification strategy continuing to drive production of the new BMW X3 at BMW Group Plant Rosslyn. To date, Plant Rosslyn is the only plant that produces the BMW X3 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) for the entire world; a fact that the team of BMW Group Plant Rosslyn takes pride in.

Advancing South Africa’s automotive sector, together.

The engagement at BMW Group Plant Rosslyn served as a pivotal platform to reinforce the company’s position as a trusted corporate citizen and contributor to national progress. During the visit, President Ramaphosa interacted with the plant assembly staff on the production line, gaining firsthand insight into daily operations, and later addressed several hundred production staff, acknowledging their dedication. Discussions during the visit highlighted BMW Group South Africa’s industry leadership, showcasing its role as a premium automotive manufacturer through innovative and sustainable practices, and emphasising its substantial investment in South Africa’s economic development.

The dialogue focused on the tangible benefits of BMW Group Plant Rosslyn, specifically its role in advancing job creation, driving essential skills development, and facilitating technology transfer within the local market. A reflection of its ongoing dedication to national transformation, BMW Group South Africa  and BMW Group Financial Services South Africa both achieved Level 1 B-BBEE status in the 2024 audit, highlighting the companies’ drive towards an inclusive and equitable workplace, and reflecting continuous, focused efforts and collaboration. Crucially, the visit has strengthened public and private sector relations, deepening BMW Group South Africa’s partnership with the local government and aligning its strategic goals with the President’s vision for industrial growth, economic empowerment and sustainable mobility.

“This engagement at Plant Rosslyn reaffirms the great partnership between the BMW Group and South Africa”, states Daniel Bester, Director of BMW Group Plant Rosslyn. “Our plant continues to be a beacon of manufacturing excellence, setting new production records and driving innovation. We remain committed to contributing to South Africa’s economic growth, actively working towards a shared, prosperous future.”

Beyond manufacturing, BMW Group South Africa’s partnership with the Youth Employment Services (YES) programme continues to create meaningful work opportunities for young South Africans, equipping them with practical experience. The company has generated over 3,500 youth work experiences since 2022. The 2025 cohort at BMW South Africa includes 86 talented individuals gaining invaluable experience across the four business entities.

Creating confidence for a shared future.

The successful gathering at BMW Group Plant Rosslyn solidifies BMW Group South Africa’s industrial leadership and its function as an integral collaborator in South Africa’s economic growth and enduring prosperity. A key pillar supporting this confidence is the company’s highly adaptive and capable manufacturing workforce. The advanced requirements for producing the new BMW X3 at BMW Group Plant Rosslyn have driven significant advancements in employee technical skills and expertise. This continuous development of local capabilities not only upholds manufacturing excellence but also reinforces South Africa’s strategic importance within the global automotive industry.

Munich. Success is teamwork – this applies to the BMW Group in close collaboration with its external partners as much as it does to successful athletes. Continuous training, constant optimisation and the will to develop are essential in both worlds. With the Partner Academy, the BMW Group is focusing precisely on that. Qualifications and further education are the keys to achieving top performances together with its partners and suppliers, and to securing long-term success.

Superbike world champion and BMW Motorrad factory rider Toprak Razgatlioglu knows that continuous development and collaboration take quality to the next level. He has benefitted from targeted training and a strong team on his way to the top of his sport, while the BMW Group also relies on perfect collaboration with excellent partners.

Toprak Razgatlioglu: The world title – a joint project

”Everything is teamwork,” Razgatlioglu explained when asked about the secret of his success in the 2024 FIM Superbike World Championship. “Working hard on the racetrack every day is not enough to win, but if your team is working hard every day, this is the perfect package. Only then can we make it to the top, as a unit.”

This principle also applies to the BMW Group and its global supplier network. With the Partner Academy, the company specifically promotes qualifications among its suppliers to jointly ensure high quality standards and drive innovation forward.

Partner Academy: Top performances through qualifications
The Partner Academy is the central qualifications platform for worldwide suppliers and partners of the BMW Group. It offers BMW-specific training to ensure the highest standards and meet the growing demands of a dynamic market.

Ilka Horstmeier, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Human Resources and Real Estate, emphasised: “A common understanding is crucial for successful collaboration between us and our partners. Our Partner Academy is more than a platform – it provides our partners with the knowledge, skills and resources they need to shape the future of mobility together with us.”

Dr. Joachim Post, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Purchasing and Supplier Network, added: “Quality is an attitude that accompanies us every day. With the Neue Klasse, we are raising the bar – for ourselves and our supplier network. It is only through excellent collaboration and continuous training that we can ensure that our premium quality standards are maintained along the entire value chain.”

“Better together” – for top performance on both sides
The motto of the Partner Academy says it all: “Better together”. A team that continuously develops and acquires new knowledge works together more efficiently, raises quality levels and lays the foundation for success and growth. Toprak Razgatlioglu concluded: “I didn’t do it on my own – that´s teamwork.”

If you have any questions, please contact:

BMW Group Corporate Communications

Dr. Hans-Peter Ketterl

Spokesperson for Human Resources and
for the Member of the Board of Management for Human Resources and Real Estate

Tel: +49-89-382-23923

E-Mail: Hans-Peter.Ketterl@bmwgroup.com

Florian Moser

Spokesperson BMW Group Purchasing and Supplier Network

Telefon: +49-151-601-62847

E-Mail: Florian.Moser@bmwgroup.com

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2024, the BMW Group sold over 2.45 million passenger vehicles and more than 210,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2024 was € 11.0 billion on revenues amounting to € 142.4 billion. As of 31 December 2024, the BMW Group had a workforce of 159,104 employees.

The economic success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. Sustainability is a key element of the BMW Group’s corporate strategy and covers all products from the supply chain and production to the end of their useful life.

www.bmwgroup.com

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/bmw-group/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/bmwgroup

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroup

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmwgroup

X: https://www.x.com/bmwgroup

Munich. These days the question of how stable a business is, is increasingly coming under the spotlight. Crisis-proof companies are characterised by targeted planning, the flexibility to adapt to volatility, and good leadership. But organisations that meet these criteria also make desirable employers – as shown by numerous studies in 2024 that rate the BMW Group as highly attractive in this regard.

One example is the Trendence Professionals Barometer. Here the BMW Group once again topped the rankings in 2024 as the best employer – for the thirteenth time in a row. A leading study in gauging employer attractiveness, the Trendence survey questioned 15,000 university-educated employees in Germany to ascertain the best employers for professionals. 2024 also saw the BMW Group top the tables in other global and market-specific employer rankings, such as the World’s Most Attractive Employers, by Universum, and the World’s Best Employers, by Forbes.

"You don't automatically become the best employer. Our industry is changing. At BMW, we rely on the skills and experience of our employees, take them along with us on the journey and offer them varied and meaningful tasks. This allows them to grow personally and fully develop their potential. This also pays off in the competition for the best employees," emphasizes Ilka Horstmeier, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Human Resources and Real Estate, Director of Labor Relations.

In the current challenging situation especially, the company and its brands are benefiting from their premium products and exciting new fields of activity around e-mobility and digitalisation. The BMW Group also offers above-average remuneration and a host of additional benefits, as well as mobility and health programmes and opportunities for further development in-house.

Other Trendence rankings topped by the BMW Group

The BMW Group also retained the top spot in the Trendence Graduate Barometer 2024 in the category for Engineering, with a clear lead over the remaining contestants. The survey involved 15,000 students of various disciplines from universities and colleges across Germany.

Among business graduates, the BMW Group was able to boost its approval ratings and rise to second place in the rankings. Another area where the BMW Group is improving is IT, and it now ranks fourth, as the most attractive automotive employer.

In the Trendence School Student Barometer, the company rose from fourth to third place, making it the most popular automotive employer again. 15,000 school students took part in the study.

Highly sought-after skilled workers also voted the BMW Group into the top spot as an employer, in the Trendence Skilled Workers Barometer 2024. This surveyed 21,000 employees in Germany and awarded the BMW Group first place.

BMW Group among top employers globally too

The current ranking of the World’s Most Attractive Employers 2024, by Universum, surveyed more than 144,000 students from the nine leading economies and ranked the BMW Group fifth among prospective engineers worldwide. The company also ranks among the top 17 employers globally for IT and business students.

Talent welcome

The BMW Group offers exciting challenges for young as well as more seasoned professionals in forward-looking fields such as battery research and automated driving as well as software development, IT architecture for databases and cloud systems, and app development. Applications are always welcome! In addition, BMW Group production facilities around the world are constantly looking for electrical maintenance and system management specialists as well as production planners and control technicians.

Talented people with an interest in joining the BMW Group can learn more about working with the company, how to join and current job offers from the BMW Group Careers page of our website or the BMW Group Careers social media channels:

BMWho?

Beyond the Road

Zeit für neue Perspektiven

Innovation durch Vielfalt

If you have any questions, please contact:

BMW Group Corporate Communications

Dr. Hans-Peter Ketterl

Spokesperson for Human Resources and

Member of the Board of Management for Human Resources and Real Estate

Tel: +49-89-382-23923

Mail: Hans-Peter.Ketterl@bmwgroup.com

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2023, the BMW Group sold over 2.55 million passenger vehicles and more than 209,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2023 was € 17.1 billion on revenues amounting to € 155.5 billion. As of 31 December 2023, the BMW Group had a workforce of 154,950 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products. 

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Munich. At its meeting today, the Supervisory Board of BMW AG set the course for a continuity of succession at the head of its board. To this end, the Supervisory Board will put forward Dr. Nicolas Peter for election to the Supervisory Board of BMW AG at the 2025 Annual General Meeting. The Supervisory Board also expressed its support for the proposal that Peter — subject to his election to the Supervisory Board — be elected as Chairman of the Supervisory Board after the 2025 Annual General Meeting.

The mandate of the current Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Dr.-Ing. Norbert Reithofer, as a member of the Supervisory Board will finish as planned at the end of the 2025 Annual General Meeting. He will not run for re-election after two terms of office. This also observes the standard age limit set by the Supervisory Board itself.

Nicolas Peter has extensive international experience in the automotive industry. He was Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Finance, from January 2017 to May 2023, and has also held various management positions in Finance and Sales at the BMW Group, including positions in several European markets. As former Chairman of the Board of Directors of BMW Brilliance Automotive, he also has extensive experience in the Chinese market. Nicolas Peter holds a doctorate in law and has both German and French citizenship.

After May 11, 2023, Nicolas Peter did not hold a position within BMW AG and will therefore have completed a two-year cooling-off period in May 2025, in accordance with the German Corporate Governance Code.

Nicolas Peter is currently a member of two supervisory bodies outside the BMW Group: He is a member of the Supervisory Board of KION GROUP AG, where he chairs the audit committee. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the listed company FORVIA SE (France) and a member of the Government Commission on the German Corporate Governance Code.

If you have any questions, please contact:

BMW Group Corporate Communications

Max-Morten Borgmann, Communications BMW Group, Finance, Sales

Telephone: +49 89 382-24118

Email: max-morten.borgmann@bmwgroup.com

Eckhard Wannieck, head of Communications BMW Group, Finance, Sales

Telephone: +49 89 382-24544

Email: eckhard.wannieck@bmwgroup.com

Media website: https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

Email: presse@bmwgroup.com

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2023, the BMW Group sold over 2.55 million passenger vehicles and more than 209,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2023 was € 17.1 billion on revenues amounting to € 155.5 billion. As of 31 December 2023, the BMW Group had a workforce of 154,950 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products. 

www.bmwgroup.com

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/bmw-group/

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Leipzig. Every year 65 young people start their vocational training at BMW Group Plant Leipzig. In the future, more than 6,200 employees a year will develop their skills too, in specifically tailored courses and seminars. For the first time, Leipzig’s new Talent Campus brings together vocational training and skills development – under one roof. The new building officially opened on 25 October.

The Talent Campus offers 6,000 m² of space in total across two floors. For those doing their vocational training, it is equipped with automotive, CNC, mechatronics and mechanical workshops as well as spaces for pneumatics, mechatronics and IT/AR/VR. For employees undergoing skills development, it offers e-mobility workshops for SPS control technologies, robotics and automation as well as practical training multifunctional spaces and seminar rooms. The entire building is designed to be accessible and, along with all the equipment, it came in at an investment of 16 million euros.  

Nicole Haft-Zboril, Head of BMW Group Real Estate Management: “This new Talent Campus is an investment in a flexible, needs-focused training infrastructure at our Leipzig site. The construction project has been successfully completed – thanks in large part to our collaboration with our partner, the City of Leipzig – and the building has been handed over in time for the start of the academic year.”

The Talent Campus offers training and development for a wide range of participants, from apprentices to managers. Courses and programmes centre on working with high-voltage electricity for new battery systems and on digitalisation, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence, to develop the skills that will be vital in the car industry of the future. Moritz Kippenberger, Vice President HR Services, Recruiting, Qualification: “To rise to the challenges that lie ahead, we need new skills and abilities. At the BMW Group, we are preparing and supporting all our employees by giving them the training and education they need to make the BMW Group electric, digital and circular. It’s a change process that we are undertaking with them.”

BMW Group Plant Leipzig is steadily growing in terms of employees, buildings and production volume. When it opened in 2005, it employed around 2,600 people. Today there are over 6,000. Plant Director Petra Peterhänsel: “Investments in training and development are key to the transformation of our industry. We are securing the future of our site by fostering young talent and offering attractive skills development options to keep our longer-standing employees with us on our journey to electric and digital mobility.”

Training and education has always been important and integral to the BMW Group’s culture. Over the last three years, the training rate at Plant Leipzig has risen by 44 percent. The site currently offers five apprenticeships: production mechanic, IT system electronics technician, automotive mechatronics technician, mechatronics technician and industrial mechanic. This year BMW Group Plant Leipzig is also home to the state of Saxony’s Best Apprentice.

Jens Köhler, Works Council Chairman at Plant Leipzig: “Training has been an integral part of our history ever since the plant was established. I am proud that by opening this Talent Campus, we are establishing training and education at our plant with a physical entity on our premises. We have enabled a cutting-edge learning environment that offers practical, hands-on training and is a fundamental component of our site.”

To ensure it has the skills it needs for the years ahead, the BMW Group has long been systematically identifying training needs, to be properly prepared for the future of individual mobility.

Midrand. On 16 September, Sibusiso Thusi, Björn Sommer, Karin Kollross and Graham Darab received the 2024 BMW Group Award for Social Responsibility. The award ceremony, held in Munich, Germany, honoured employees worldwide who engage as volunteers by dedicating their time and expertise to social projects.

The four winners are actively involved with causes in South Africa, Germany and Bolivia. With passion and dedication, they empower the families of children with cancer, support disadvantaged youth, provide aid to street children and help individuals struggling with addiction by presenting them with new opportunities. Each winner received prize money of 10,000 Euros (± R196,400) for their project.

“The BMW Group Award for Social Responsibility is truly inspiring. It highlights the profound impact individual dedication can have and shows how commitment to others strengthens the entire community. Our associates are driving change by developing practical solutions to social problems. Their projects create a positive impact and serve as an invitation to everyone to step up and get involved,” says Ilka Horstmeier, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for People and Real Estate, and Labour Relations, who is also a patron of the award.

Sibusiso Thusi, who works in Human Resources Services at BMW Group Plant Rosslyn, is the recipient of the Vera-und-Volker-Doppelfeld Award, which fosters commitment among young people. Thusi helps schoolchildren discover their talents and realise their professional dreams. As a mentor with the “Young Aspiring Thinkers” initiative, he works with public schools in economically disadvantaged areas to help children make up learning deficits, prepare them for internships and share insights into the world of work.

Achieving more together.

The BMW Group Award for Social Responsibility has been highly regarded within the company for many years, achieving an impact that extends far beyond simply recognising the individuals involved. Around 100 associates worldwide submitted entries for the BMW Group Award for Social Responsibility this year.

Behind each winning project is a team of dedicated helpers from the organisations themselves, who also receive recognition and appreciation through the award. Volunteers find their involvement in social and environmental causes deeply enriching, motivated by the desire to give back to the community. One of the winners described the experience of volunteering as grounding and inspiring gratitude.  

More 2024 award winners.

Björn Sommer, a Process and Digitalisation expert based in Munich, has a true pioneering spirit. He is developing a digital patient companion to support the families of children with cancer, aimed at improving their quality of life. Sommer’s project garnered the interest of a team of colleagues, and together, under the umbrella of the association “Initiative for Children with Cancer Munich”, they developed a digital platform that consolidates all information relating to their illness.

Karin Kollross, who works in Technology Materials and Process Analytics in Munich, is committed to helping street children in Cochabamba, Bolivia. She first experienced the plight of local children as a backpacker, later discovering the project “Emanuel Foundation – Children with a Future”. The initiative established a home for children whose mothers work in the neighbouring red-light district. Kollross is working to ensure the continued existence of this safe haven.

Graham Darab, MINI Brand Manager for the company’s branches in central Germany, helps people break the cycle of addiction. As a trained addiction counsellor, he leads a self-help group at the “Living without Addiction” association, where he helps people overcome addiction by maintaining a stable lifestyle and avoiding relapse. Darab also serves as one of the BMW Group’s addiction officers, undertaking important prevention efforts.

Social Drive strengthens social commitment.

Social responsibility is a significant part of the BMW Group’s core philosophy and has encouraged social commitment among its employees for many years. Alongside the BMW Group Award for Social Responsibility, the Social Drive initiative consolidates volunteer activities at the company. It allows employees to showcase their social causes, connect with each other and recruit new members. The platform provides an easy way for individuals or teams to learn about and participate in various projects.

BMW Group South Africa is committed to corporate social responsibility by building a more sustainable future for its people, communities and the industry. The voluntary involvement of employees makes an equally important contribution to the social responsibility of the BMW Group.

ENDS

If you have any questions, please contact:

Corporate Communications

Angela Konert

Head of Business Communications

Phone: +27 71 666 2472

Email: Angela.Konert@bmw.co.za

https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2023, the BMW Group sold over 2.55 million passenger vehicles and more than 209,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2023 was € 17.1 billion on revenues amounting to € 155.5 billion. As of 31 December 2023, the BMW Group had a workforce of 154,950 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products. 

www.bmwgroup.com

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Munich/Leipzig. When the team at BMW Group Plant Leipzig pick up their tools on a Monday morning, the whole world comes together: about 70 nationalities collaborate here. The team come not just from Germany but also from places like Syria, Poland, Spain, Egypt and Eritrea. “We all work together really well, it’s enriching and founded on acceptance and mutual respect,” explained Plant Director Petra Peterhänsel. Cultural diversity is the order of the day, not just here but across the BMW Group – and has been for a very long time.

As the team expands, Plant Leipzig is getting even more colourful and varied. Cultural diversity is key to making the BMW Group electric, digital and circular, and specialists from all fields and across the globe are needed to ensure secure supplies of labour and help align the BMW Group as closely as possible with the wishes and needs of its stakeholders in a global world that’s always on the move.

Plant Leipzig exemplifies the BMW Group’s fundamental belief that cultural diversity is welcome, essential to its success and enhances the company’s attractiveness as an employer. It also sets the BMW Group apart, with some 150,000 employees worldwide from more than 110 different countries all doing their part for our shared success.

BMW Group to take active part in German Diversity Day

On World Day for Cultural Diversity on 21 May and German Diversity Day – established by the Diversity Charter and taking place on 28 May – the BMW Group will be seizing the opportunity to do more to promote and strengthen cultural diversity within its own ranks through numerous in-house activities.

But these are just two of various campaign days each year on which the BMW Group devotes its attention to diversity, equal opportunities and inclusion.

Plant Leipzig: the cultural mix is a challenge – but an opportunity as well

When Abdelrahman Salem followed his German girlfriend – now his wife – from Egypt to Germany, he arrived here speaking hardly a word of the language. At the age of 30, the pilot found himself having to establish a new professional focus. An opportunity arose at the BMW Group: he passed his entrance exam, learned German with the help of the company and was able to start training as a production mechanic. Today he is a specialist in battery module production, and in April of this year he was awarded German citizenship. “In terms of integration, both personally and professionally, language was key,” said Salem looking back. He is also keen to share his positive experiences with others: while undergoing training himself, he already started supporting other colleagues coming in from other countries by showing them the ropes and translating technical documentation for them.

Abdelrahman Salem is part of a multicultural team at Plant Leipzig, where the share of employees from other countries has grown significantly over the last ten years. In 2017 they came from 44 different nations, rising to over 70 by 2023.

For someone like Salem to progress as he has, active integration is key. “The mix of cultures is a new challenge because not all our new colleagues speak the same language as we do. That’s why we offer German courses and intercultural training to help people get along with each other, so we can all grow together,” said Plant Director Petra Peterhänsel.

Practising a ‘welcome culture’ 

At BMW Group plants in Germany, integration is actively promoted. Departments provide the basics of their specialist knowledge in different languages as well as pictograms, and to help employees improve their language skills, the BMW Group covers the cost of the personal contribution they have to pay for language courses by the Office for Migration and Refugees. As part of its ‘welcome culture’ the BMW Group also works hard to show newcomers the ropes in their new jobs. And the effort is paying off: staff turnover is low and new colleagues are sending a positive message to the outside world. An important role in all of this falls to managers: as role models, they can influence the atmosphere in the team – which is also the reason managers in production undergo intercultural training, for example.

No place for discrimination 

At the BMW Group, diversity is about more than just cultures: it also covers sex, age and experience, physical and mental abilities, and sexual orientation and gender identity. With sufficient understanding and acceptance of others and a sense for similarities and differences, together these dimensions of diversity become a strength. To avoid prejudice and discrimination, all employees undergo mandatory training on equal treatment and how respectful collaboration can succeed. The course is currently being rolled out worldwide.

Young talent development: Wanted! International perspectives

So that young talents gain early experience of intercultural collaboration, the BMW Group encourages international secondments. Trainees and trainee apprentices, for example, can spend time abroad via the global MOVE programme and work elsewhere in the production network, for example in the UK, the US, South Africa, China or Mexico. The international exchange scheme for graduates is the global AcceleratiON programme. Both of these initiatives aim to help young people broaden their horizons, connect and experience different perspectives.   

Rui Pais iniciou o seu percurso no BMW Group em Portugal em 2004, primeiro como Product Manager da BMW, no Departamento de Vendas & Marketing, tendo em 2007 assumido as funções de Sales & Marketing Area Manager. 

Desde 2019 que desempenhava as funções de Team Leader de Corporate & Direct Sales da BMW/MINI tendo tido um contribuído notável para os excelentes resultados das marcas em Portugal.

Esta nomeação valoriza a experiência de duas décadas de Rui Pais no BMW Group em Portugal e reflete a forte aposta na competência dos quadros internos por parte do BMW Group.

Munich. Working on the cutting edge, helping shape the future and finding solutions to problems – that is what female engineers love about their careers with the BMW Group. The company aims to get even more women excited about technology. Although the percentage of women in the workforce continues to climb, it could be higher – especially in the technical professions.

Women's creativity and thinking make a positive contribution to diversity at the BMW Group – and diversity is a success factor that makes companies more innovative. Growing demand for workers can only be met with increasing representation of women in future competences.

Ilka Horstmeier, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for People and Real Estate, Labour Relations Director, underlined that: “We want to get more young women interested in STEM careers, so we can shape the future of individual mobility with them. We believe in a diverse team spirit, with equal opportunities and responsibility for each individual. That is how we are making BMW electric, digital and circular.”

The BMW Group is therefore taking advantage of International Women’s Day on 8 March to highlight the countless opportunities for women in the STEM field. To target them, it is important to spark an interest in technical subjects at an early age. Inspiring role models also play an important part.

The following female engineers took an interest in technology from a young age: Céline Laurent-Winter always loved maths, physics and computers at school; Kirsten Matheus’s experience was similar, with mathematics one of her favourite subjects; Stella Clarke particularly enjoyed classes where she and the other girls were allowed to experiment, such as programming a robotic arm. Today, all three are successful engineers at the BMW Group.

#empowerGirl: Getting to know companies up close

These three women’s biographies have one thing in common – they all loved numbers and technology, even as children and teenagers. This is precisely the age where BMW Group initiatives aim to reach girls. The company's latest commitment is supporting the initiative #empowerGirl, an online portal designed to connect schoolgirls interested in STEM with companies and enable them to gain early insights into technical professions. Girls can check out internship opportunities online and get in touch with contacts at the companies directly.

Girls’ Day on 25 April, which the BMW Group participates in more and more widely nationwide every year, also provides insights into real-world scenarios. On this day, the company opens its doors to girls aged from 14 to 19 and spotlights STEM careers related to automotive production. The focus of this action day is on asking questions and trying things out without feeling nervous. 

Maker Spaces: Discovering a passion for technical topics

Try it out for yourself – that is also the concept behind the so-called Maker Space in Munich which the BMW Group is partnering with: The publicly accessible workshop is based on the concept of explorative learning and lowers the threshold for experimenting with technology. It creates a no-pressure environment in which women, in particular, can discover their passion for technical subjects. Development engineer Stella Clarke loves the “terrific atmosphere” at the Maker Space, which boosts self-belief with a “you can do it” attitude. 

High percentage of women in talent development programmes

Once an interest in technology has been awakened, it is vital to continue encouraging young women and supporting them on the road to an engineering career. The BMW Group ensures there is high female representation in its talent development programmes. For example, women have made up over 40 percent of its AcceleratiON trainee programme for years.

Work-life balance is still a decisive factor for women pursuing a career. The BMW Group’s joint leadership model plays a particularly important role in this context: Both men and women have the opportunity to share a managerial position with equal responsibility during a transition period. This makes it easier to balance work and family during certain phases in life.

Inspiring women as role models

Experience has shown that girls and young women need strong role models they can identify with and who encourage them to assert themselves in a field still largely dominated by men. Engineers Céline Laurent-Winter, Kirsten Matheus and Stella Clarke are exactly that kind of inspiring role model.

Céline Laurent-Winter: Learning never ends 

“If you love STEM subjects, stick with it! There are exciting jobs and future-oriented topics waiting for you. Women are just as good as men at these things!” encourages Céline Laurent-Winter. Laurent-Winter, who was born in France and has been with the BMW Group for almost 19 years, currently works in vehicle connectivity. After studying production and automation technology, she earned a PhD in computer science. She says the most exciting thing about her job is that, with a career in STEM, you never stop learning. “The digital world offers endless possibilities that are constantly growing.”

Kirsten Matheus: Changing things for the better

“What makes it exciting is the diversity – from highly technical to highly strategic, everything is possible,” says Kirsten Matheus about her job as an engineer. She describes herself as having an “engineering personality”. Solving problems and achieving goals has always given her tremendous satisfaction. She has worked for the BMW Group for 14 years in electronics development and is responsible for strategy for communication technologies. A career as an engineer appeals to her on two levels: She wants to change things for the better and, at the same time, be able to provide for a family on her salary.

Stella Clarke: Tracking down talents

“I believe women need more encouragement,” says Stella Clarke, from Australia, who studied mechanical engineering and has worked for the BMW Group for 17 years as a development engineer. She developed the idea for changing the colour of the vehicle body with innovative E Ink technology. “Believe in yourself!” she urges young women. In her view, every child is eager to explore and figure out how the world works. She believes young people need more encouragement and inspiration to engage with science and technology.

Driven by Diversity: Diversity is the foundation of our success

The BMW Group views diversity as a strength. Diversity helps us recruit and retain the best talents and meet our stakeholders’ expectations worldwide. We promote a culture that is free of prejudice and values differences and believe that equity and inclusion are fundamental requirements for this.

Please find attached the 09/2023 first time edition of the Sustainability Communication Backgrounder made by AK-31. The contents are for internal use only but may be passed further to any colleague who deals with sustainability issues. If you have questions concerning the content or handling just contact the editor. Changes are possible anytime.

Munich. When others need help, they are there: Cristiano Alano, Anke Boysen, Markus Entter and Thomas Fahnauer are the winners of the 12th BMW Group Award for Social Responsibility. The official ceremony was held on 14 September in Munich. The Award pays tribute to employees worldwide who are active as volunteers. Each winner receives prize money of 10,000 euros for their project.

The BMW Group Award shines a light on social commitment at the company, inspires others to get involved and promotes social initiative among the workforce. “Every year, this award ceremony fills me with tremendous pride. It’s great that we have associates who take responsibility and are committed to helping others – and it’s amazing what they are able to accomplish in their free time. With this Award, we pay tribute to this dedication and send a clear message: If everyone gives just a little bit of their time for others, we can achieve so much together,” said Ilka Horstmeier, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, People and Real Estate, Labour Relations Director, and patron of the award.

Helping people in need  

The BMW Group Award is highly regarded within the company and forges connections between volunteers. This year, once again, more than 100 associates competed for one of the four awards. From these, the judges selected 11 projects for the final round, with all nominees attending the award ceremony. All of these dedicated employees have one thing in common: They donate their time and their know-how to improve the lives of people who are socially disadvantaged or in need. All finalists receive 2,500 euros each for their initiatives.

Here are this year’s four award-winners

Markus Entter, winner of the employee vote, works at the BMW Group in Munich and volunteers as a hospice helper at St. Vinzenz Hospiz in Augsburg. He accompanies those who are seriously ill on the last stage of their life’s journey. With empathy, compassion and the gift of time, he helps dispel people’s fear of death and dying. When practical help is needed, he prepares light meals, brings food and drinks to hospice patients, or simply assists the carers. He also provides relatives with emotional support.

Cristiano Alano, winner of the Vera and Volker Doppelfeld Award, works at BMW Group Plant Araquari in Brazil and advocates for disadvantaged young people in an impoverished district of the city of Joinville. Social mobility through a good school education is the aim of the initiative ASSOCIAÇÃO PROJETO RESGATE. Alano is especially dedicated to fostering character development and encouraging young people to be more confident and independent. As a mentor, he teaches them techniques for resolving social issues.

Anke Boysen, who works at the BMW Group in Munich, is passionate about training rescue dogs for aid missions. As a dog handler with the ISAR Germany Foundation, she even accompanies the rescue dog team on missions worldwide – most recently, following the earthquake in Turkey. The specially trained rescue dogs are able to find people who have become buried and help save lives. 

Thomas Fahnauer,who works at BMW Group Plant Araquari, volunteers with the ONG Esperanca Brasil initiative, building simple homes for homeless people out of wooden pallets. He was motivated by the sometimes appalling living conditions of people in Brazil who often do not have a decent home. The wooden pallets were previously used as packaging material for ship transportation. Their continued use also helps the project contribute to climate protection.

BMW Group Award: Invitation to join in

Taking social responsibility is part of the BMW Group’s identity. To this end, the company has encouraged social engagement among its employees for years. The BMW Group Award for Social Responsibility honours the personal commitment of its associates in a unique way. Together with the SOCIAL DAYS and SOCIAL DRIVE IT platform, it is one of the three pillars of SOCIAL DRIVE, which pools employees’ volunteer activities. The SOCIAL DAYS held to mark various occasions aim to promote interest in social commitment among associates and encourage them to get actively involved. The SOCIAL DRIVE IT platform offers a wide range of activities and gives dedicated employees the opportunity to find supporters for their projects, giving further momentum to social commitment.

Munich. The BMW Group has once again recognised employees around the world for their outstanding social commitment this year. The BMW Group Awards for Social Commitment were presented to five employees, two of whom received special awards from the Vera and Volker Doppelfeld Foundation. Each award is endowed with 5,000 euros, which benefits the respective service projects directly. This year's award-winners come from India, Germany and South Africa. Owing to the special circumstances this year, five additional finalists will each receive a financial award of 2,500 euros, which will also benefit these employees’ service projects.

“Courageous commitment to society is increasingly important, especially in unprecedented times like the current pandemic. Encouraging every individual to take responsibility is a priority for me. Our Employee Awards contribute to this by recognising our associates’ commitment,” explained Ilka Horstmeier, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Human Resources and patron of the award.

Many BMW Group employees are involved in volunteering – in their own region or in international projects. The diversity of this commitment is also reflected by the candidates for the award: The 111 applications submitted came from 16 different countries. Due to current hygiene requirements, this year’s award ceremony was held as a digital event broadcast to different locations worldwide. 

International commitment

After just six months with the BMW Group, Sankar Sundaralingam from Chennai, India has been recognised with the BMW Award for his Ooruni Foundation. As a co-founder and trustee, Sundaralingam has been involved since 2015 in providing an educational support programme for AIDS orphans and organising a job market for people with disabilities, as well as collecting food donations for people in need and launching various environmental campaigns. He plans to use the cash prize to finance the studies of 22 young people.

Ludwig Donharl has worked as an energy maintenance engineer at BMW Group Plant Dingolfing since 1987. He has shown a selfless dedication to helping young people in Kenya since taking a holiday there in 2017 – building a school for 200 children and eight teachers largely on his own initiative. Donharl realises a wide range of different projects with the donations he collects, including supporting a young man who had suffered an accident and needed an operation so he could return to work. Donharl’s colleagues recognised his outstanding personal commitment with the BMW Group Associate Award, which was presented for the first time this year. All company employees had the chance to choose one of the award-winners in an online vote.

Jörg Kaufmann founded the Children's Cancer Research Society. As its chairman, he and the organisation’s 45 members set themselves the goal of making childhood cancers curable – no matter how rare the cancer may be. The association has funded research projects worth more than one million euros over the past ten years. The organisation's biggest success so far was in promoting an antibody therapy that has now become well established. The prize money from the BMW Group Award will benefit a cancer research project at the Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital in Munich. 

The Vera and Volker Doppelfeld Foundation will present not one, but two special awards this year. One of these will go to another founder: Solly Makgatho from South Africa. The production employee realised there was great need for safe accommodation for children in his community. While volunteering as a legal advisor, he submitted his idea for a separate relief organisation to the government – laying the foundation for the Gauteng Community Organisation (GCO) in 2011. Since then, the organisation has provided no fewer than 120 orphans with shelter, care and education. The children live in so-called “Green Houses” offering safety, meals and therapy. The financial award will be used to renovate existing accommodation.

The Doppelfeld Foundation's second special award went to Sipho Machaka, also from South Africa. In addition to working in the paint shop at Plant Rosslyn, he also serves as a mentor, advisor and trainer at the Golden Youth Club (NPO). This dynamic initiative offers dance, art and music projects so children and teenagers can occupy their time in a meaningful way. There are also opportunities for the young people to educate themselves about environmental topics and human rights. Machaka himself teaches them how to live a sustainable lifestyle and seeks to boost their self-esteem. It is already clear what the next project will be: He wants to use the financial award to set up a youth centre.

Since there can be no official award ceremony this year, due to the pandemic, the BMW Group has decided to offer all remaining finalists a financial award. The employees will each receive 2,500 euros for their efforts to ensure disadvantaged families in Kenya can afford health insurance; to support people with disabilities in Tunisia; to provide hospice care; to develop a test system to identify Covid-19 infections; and to give people with Down syndrome in South Africa the chance of living a fulfilling life. The BMW Group Awards for Social Commitment have been presented since 2011. Almost 1,000 projects have been showcased and 38 award-winners honoured to date.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Corporate Communications

Angela Konert, Corporate Communications, Human Resources

Telephone: +49 89 382-50591, Angela.Konert@bmw.de 

Eckhard Wannieck, head of Corporate and Culture Communications

Telephone: +49 89 382-24544, Eckhard.Wannieck@bmwgroup.com 

Media website: https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

Email: presse@bmwgroup.com

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises 31 production and assembly facilities in 15 countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2019, the BMW Group sold over 2.5 million passenger vehicles and more than 175,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2019 was € 7.118 billion on revenues amounting to € 104.210 billion. As of 31 December 2019, the BMW Group had a workforce of 126,016 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.

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Munich/Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Visitors to this year’s BMW Motorrad Days can expect to see, in addition to many bike highlights, a true one-off – the BMW X7 Pick-up. A unique conversion performed by BMW Group vocational trainees in cooperation with the Concept Vehicle Construction and Model Technology divisions at the BMW Munich plant. The vehicle is based on the BMW X7, the most luxurious and latest member of the BMW X family. The one-off combines the drive technology of the 250 kW/340 hp BMW X7 xDrive40i (fuel consumption combined: 9.0 – 8.7 l/100 km [31.4 – 32.5 mpg imp]; CO2 emissions combined: 205 – 198 g/km) with the innovative vehicle concept of a five-seater luxury pick-up.
A handcrafted loading area boasting a sophisticated fine-polished wood finish, a height-adjustable two-level air suspension and numerous high-class equipment details make this BMW X7 Pick-up an ideal companion for the diverse day-to-day uses and more. A BMW F 850 GS – a powerful motorcycle from the adventure segment – on the loading area completes the conversion. Together they are able to reach even the remotest corners of the world.

"I am pleased about the synergies between BMW Group Vocational Training, Concept Vehicle Construction and Model Technology, allowing these young talents to prove their abilities with such an extraordinary project," concludes Milagros Caiña-Andree, Member of the Board for Human Resources of the BMW AG.

High-class materials and state-of-the-art production methods meet craftsmanship.
Behind the passenger cabin providing five persons with a luxury ambience, the BMW X7 Pick-up offers a generous loading area. The length of the loading space varies from 140 cm (closed) to 200 cm (open). Thanks to the intelligent use of CFRP on roof components, rear doors and the rear lid, it was possible to further reduce weight by 200 kg vs. the production model, despite a 10 cm longer body. In interplay with the high-quality, handcrafted teakwood cladding of the loading area upgrade and the parapet elements, handgrips and trim strips made from SLS 3D pressure parts, it becomes clear just how much innovative strength, competence and technical precision the trainees already display. The combination of honey-coloured teakwood and the BMW Individual colour Tanzanite Blue metallic – an exclusive navy blue finish that develops extra depth when exposed to sunlight – was inspired by yachting sports and creates a sophisticated look.

From a concept to a vehicle in show car quality in just ten months.
In just ten months, the twelve trainees from the occupational sectors body and vehicle mechanics (m/f/x), vehicle mechatronics (m/f/x) and technical model construction (m/f/x) turned a concept into a fully functional, road-legal automobile in show car quality. In keeping with the BMW brand’s sustainability strategy, a vehicle returned from testing formed the cost-efficient basis of the concept, which the trainees consequently saved from being scrapped. The trainees were free to decide on conception and implementation, but had to forgo the additional expert assistance normally provided in concept car construction. The coherent final result gives the trainees even more reason to be proud of their practical training project. Their dream: to go for a spin in the BMW X7 Pick-up after its premiere or even take it for a trip to the mountains.

The BMW X7 Pick-up and the BMW F 850 GS – unbeatable as a duo.
On the loading area of the converted vehicle stands a BMW F 850 GS, which is ideally suited to the BMW Motorrad Days. With a combination of touring and long-distance capability, sporty dynamics and supreme off-road qualities, the BMW F 850 GS perfectly complements the qualities of the BMW X7 Pick-up. However, in everyday life, the BMW X7 pick-up and the BMW F 850 ​​GS are faithful companions: thanks to their excellent driving characteristics both on paved and unpaved roads, the journey is the destination.
The BMW X7 Pick-up is a one-off from BMW Group Vocational Training at the Munich location. Series implementation is not planned. Special projects such as this serve during training to convey and deploy the required capabilities in practice. Clear training contents with an occupational interest in each profession exist in such projects. The BMW Group currently trains almost 5,000 persons in nine countries worldwide.

Munich. Gerhard Richter (55), member of the Board of Management of BMW M
GmbH, will be taking over the project management for the new BMW Gran
Turismo from January 2008. This vehicle was presented to the public for
the first time as a concept study at the Shanghai Motor Show in spring
2007. It is a cutting edge technological vehicle which will round off
the BMW product range at the top end. Albert Biermann (50) will be
responsible in the future for the development of M and individual
vehicles . For questions please contact: Corporate Communications
Michael Rebstock, Business Communications Telephone: +49 89 382-20470,
Fax: +49 89 382-24418 Marc Hassinger, Business and Finance
Communications Telephone: +49 89 382-23362, Fax: +49 89 382-24418 Media
website: https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en e-mail: presse@bmw.de