BMW Appoints New CEO as German Auto Faces Deepening Crisis
BMW has named its head of production, Milan Nedeljković, as its next chief executive, tasking the long-serving engineer with steering the company through mounting pressures from the global electric shift and intensifying Chinese competition.
Nedeljković, 56, will succeed Oliver Zipse when the incumbent’s term ends in May, the Munich-based automaker said in a statement. Being an employee since 1993, he currently oversees the group’s global manufacturing network, where electric and combustion models roll off the same production lines.
A central priority for the incoming CEO will be accelerating the firm’s expansion in electric vehicles — a strategy already pushed forward under Zipse’s leadership.
But Nedeljković assumes control at a turbulent moment for Germany’s flagship automotive industry. BMW, owner of the Mini and Rolls-Royce brands, has seen sales fall in China amid fierce competition from domestic EV makers. The group has also been hit by US tariffs, though the impact has been cushioned by its largest manufacturing plant being located in South Carolina.
Despite the pressures, the auto company reported improved profitability in the third quarter, supported by robust global sales. Zipse said the company had shown itself to be “resilient” in the face of persistent headwinds.
