As of December 9, 2025, BMW’s Supervisory Board formally introduced that Milan Nedeljković, the incumbent Board member chargeable for manufacturing, will develop into the brand new Chairman of the Board of Administration (CEO) of the BMW Group — changing Oliver Zipse. The change takes impact on Might 14, 2026.
At 56 years previous, Nedeljković brings to the position greater than three many years of deep institutional expertise at BMW. He joined the corporate as a trainee in 1993 and has steadily climbed the ranks by means of a wide range of technical and management roles. His new CEO contract runs by means of 2031, signaling long-term confidence from the Supervisory Board.
From Scholar to Plant Knowledgeable — Training and Early Profession
- Nedeljković studied mechanical engineering between 1988 and 1993 at RWTH Aachen College in Germany and hung out at Massachusetts Institute of Know-how (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
- He subsequently earned a doctorate in engineering — specializing in forming expertise and foundry engineering — from Technical College of Munich (TUM) by 2004.
- In 1993, instantly after his research, he joined BMW as a trainee on the Munich plant — starting what would develop into a gradual rise by means of BMW’s manufacturing and administration hierarchy.
Key Milestones: Roles at BMW 1993–2019
Nedeljković’s development displays broad publicity to BMW’s manufacturing infrastructure — from press retailers and physique retailers to full plant administration.
- 1994–1999: Early planning roles in physique store and press store — mastering the basics of auto-body manufacturing.
- 1999–2006: Management assignments on the Munich and Regensburg crops — strengthening operational and managerial experience.
- 2006–2010: Head of Painted Physique (paint store) on the Oxford plant of MINI — a task combining technical know-how with brand-quality safeguarding.
- 2010–2013: Head of Meeting, then Head of Website on the BMW plant in Leipzig — overseeing key phases of car meeting and web site operations.
- 2015–2018: Plant Supervisor at BMW’s Munich plant — one of many firm’s most necessary manufacturing websites.
- 2018–2019: Head of Company High quality — chargeable for high quality assurance throughout BMW’s international manufacturing community.
- Since October 2019: Member of the Board of Administration, chargeable for Manufacturing — shepherding the corporate’s international manufacturing operations throughout a number of crops and nations.
Head of Manufacturing — Steering BMW Towards Electrification and “Neue Klasse”
When Nedeljković took cost of manufacturing in 2019, the automotive trade was already shifting quickly towards electrification. Underneath his stewardship, BMW has begun to retool and reorganize its manufacturing footprint to align with this new actuality. The corporate will give us some perception into that subsequent yr when the new BMW Munich Plant will open its doorways to the following technology of electrical automobiles.
Key parts of his tenure as manufacturing head:
- Overseeing the worldwide manufacturing community (some 31 manufacturing websites throughout roughly 15 nations, and tens of 1000’s of staff) with a deal with adaptability, high quality, and effectivity.
- Main the shift towards electrical mobility, with vital emphasis on the upcoming all-electric “Neue Klasse” — BMW’s next-generation electric-first mannequin household. His appointment as CEO is extensively seen as a guess on his skill to ship this transformation.
- Working to reassign and restructure manufacturing crops — focusing inner combustion engine (ICE) manufacturing at chosen areas (e.g., some websites like Steyr and Hams Corridor), whereas changing different crops to EV and “Neue Klasse” manufacturing.
Trade commentators word that his mix of operational know-how, engineering background, and lengthy tenure inside BMW make him well-suited to information the corporate by means of one of the disruptive durations in automotive historical past — as Western automakers face stiff competitors from Chinese language EV makers, regulatory stress, and speedy expertise shifts.
The choice by BMW’s Supervisory Board to raise Nedeljković — relatively than bringing in an outdoor “visionary” — speaks volumes concerning the firm’s priorities as of late 2025. Based on the board’s assertion: he “convinces with strategic foresight, robust implementation expertise, entrepreneurial considering,” and “conjures up individuals with concepts, unites them behind shared values, and motivates them to appreciate peak efficiency.”
By selecting a CEO with deep operational and manufacturing expertise, BMW seems to double down on execution: ramping up EV output, guaranteeing high quality and price self-discipline, and delivering on the promise of “Neue Klasse” — all whereas navigating macroeconomic headwinds equivalent to elevated tariffs, unsure international demand, and intensifying competitors.
Charisma, Technical Credibility, and Management You Can See
Over time, I’ve had the chance to satisfy Nedeljković a number of occasions at interviews and shows — most just lately throughout the opening of the group’s new “iFACTORY”-era plant in Debrecen, Hungary. In particular person, he comes throughout as a charismatic chief: articulate, technically grounded, and in a position to clarify complicated manufacturing and electrification methods in clear, pragmatic phrases.
Given the size and complexity of BMW’s transformation, that mixture of technical credibility and management presence might show important. We want him good luck in his new position!
