As of December 9, 2025, BMW’s Supervisory Board formally introduced that Milan Nedeljković, the incumbent Board member liable 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At 56 years outdated, Nedeljković brings to the function greater than three many years of deep institutional expertise at BMW.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 via a wide range of technical and management roles. His new CEO contract runs via 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 frolicked at Massachusetts Institute of Expertise (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
- He subsequently earned a doctorate in engineering — specializing in forming know-how 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 via 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 outlets and physique outlets 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 auto meeting and website operations.
- 2015–2018: Plant Supervisor at BMW’s Munich plant — one of many firm’s most vital manufacturing websites.
- 2018–2019: Head of Company High quality — liable for high quality assurance throughout BMW’s international manufacturing community.
- Since October 2019: Member of the Board of Administration, liable for Manufacturing — shepherding the corporate’s international manufacturing operations throughout a number of crops and international locations.
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. Beneath 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 subsequent technology of electrical autos.
Key components of his tenure as manufacturing head:
- Overseeing the worldwide manufacturing community (some 31 manufacturing websites throughout roughly 15 international locations, and tens of 1000’s of staff) with a give attention to adaptability, high quality, and effectivity.
- Main the shift towards electrical mobility, with important emphasis on the upcoming all-electric “Neue Klasse” — BMW’s next-generation electric-first mannequin household. His appointment as CEO is broadly seen as a wager on his capacity 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.
Business commentators word that his mix of operational know-how, engineering background, and lengthy tenure inside BMW make him well-suited to information the corporate via one of the vital disruptive durations in automotive historical past — as Western automakers face stiff competitors from Chinese language EV makers, regulatory stress, and speedy know-how shifts.
The choice by BMW’s Supervisory Board to raise Nedeljković — somewhat than bringing in an outdoor “visionary” — speaks volumes in regards to the firm’s priorities as of late 2025. Based on the board’s assertion: he “convinces with strategic foresight, sturdy implementation expertise, entrepreneurial considering,” and “evokes folks 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, making certain high quality and value self-discipline, and delivering on the promise of “Neue Klasse” — all whereas navigating macroeconomic headwinds comparable to elevated tariffs, unsure international demand, and intensifying competitors.
Charisma, Technical Credibility, and Management You Can See
Through the years, I’ve had the chance to fulfill Nedeljković a number of occasions at interviews and displays — most not too long ago 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 advanced manufacturing and electrification methods in clear, pragmatic phrases.
Given the dimensions and complexity of BMW’s transformation, that mixture of technical credibility and management presence could show important. We want him good luck in his new function!
