Core Viewpoint - BMW Group announces the appointment of Milan Nedeljković as the new chairman, effective May 14, 2026, marking a smooth leadership transition as current chairman Oliver Zipse's term ends [2][3] Group 1: Leadership Transition - Milan Nedeljković, a long-time senior executive at BMW, will take over as chairman, indicating a stable internal succession plan [3] - Nedeljković has extensive international management experience, having joined BMW in 1993 and held various leadership roles, including overseeing multiple factories and serving as the senior vice president of quality [3] - His main task will be to drive the launch of the "New Generation" vehicle series, which is BMW's largest investment project in history, with the first model, the iX3, already exceeding market order expectations [3] Group 2: Current Chairman's Contributions - Oliver Zipse, who has been chairman since August 2019, will conclude his 35-year career at BMW upon his departure [3][4] - Zipse is credited with guiding the company through global crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, and leading the largest strategic project in BMW's history, the "New Generation" vehicle plan [4] Group 3: Industry Context - The leadership change at BMW contrasts with other automakers that have faced management shifts due to aggressive electrification strategies leading to poor performance [4] - In the past year, several automakers, including Stellantis and Nissan, have changed leadership primarily due to performance pressures, while BMW maintains confidence in its dual development strategy of both combustion and electric vehicles [4][6] Group 4: Performance Metrics - BMW Group is projected to deliver nearly 427,000 pure electric vehicles globally in 2024, with over 100,000 units delivered in China, making it the largest single electric vehicle market for BMW [6] - For the first nine months of 2025, BMW's global electric vehicle sales reached 323,447 units, a 10% increase year-on-year, accounting for 17.5% of total sales [6] - In Q3 2025, BMW reported an EBIT of €2.261 billion, a 33% increase year-on-year, and a net profit of €1.697 billion, a significant rise of 257%, largely due to a low comparative base from the previous year [6]