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New leadership at BMW Australia

NCR BMW CEO

Wolfgang Buechel, currently Head of MINI Germany, has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of BMW Group Australia with effect from 1 January 2021.

Buechel is an experienced automotive professional who started his career at BMW Group’s headquarters in Munich 25 years ago and over that time he has held a number of senior general manager and managing director leadership roles for both the BMW and MINI brands. These include strategy, marketing, sales, and general management.

In recent years, he led the Niederlassung (company-owned) branch in Berlin and since 2018, he has been Head of MINI Germany. Buechel’s past international experience includes serving as Area Manager for BMW Asia based in the company’s Singapore office.

Commenting on the management change, Hendrik von Kuenheim, Senior Vice President Region Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa said: “Wolfgang has a considerable amount of knowledge and experience of our business having worked in many different leadership roles across our business. This, coupled with his international experience at BMW Group and that from previous roles before joining the company, make him the ideal candidate to build on the strong success BMW Group has achieved in the Australian market.”

On the announcement of his appointment, Buechel stated: “I am delighted to be appointed to this new role at a time of great challenge and progress, in particular within the realm of electromobility. Consistent innovation coupled with impeccable customer service is a trademark of the BMW Group and a driving factor behind its ongoing success. I see my appointment as an exciting opportunity to drive this forward and to contribute to BMW Group Australia’s continued growth.”

Buechel will replace Vikram Pawah, the current Chief Executive Officer of BMW Group Australia and the President of BMW Group India. Pawah has been with the BMW Group since 2017 when he joined BMW Group India as President. In 2018, he was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of BMW Group Australia and New Zealand. Since then, he has successfully steered BMW into a position of strength in the luxury car segment.

Pawah will relocate to India where he will focus solely on the BMW Group business across the Indian market. India is a priority market that presents tremendous potential for future growth and development in the luxury automotive segment.

“I would like to take the opportunity to thank Vikram for his outstanding achievements in the Australian market over the past three years. Under his leadership, working closely with our 45 dealers across the nation, BMW Group Australia has achieved impressive growth across every area of the business despite the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the automotive market this year,” concluded Kuenheim.

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