Dive Brief:
- BMW Group has named Milan Nedeljković as its new CEO, effective May 14, 2026, the automaker announced in a press release.
- Nedeljković succeeds 35-year company veteran Oliver Zipse, who is leaving BMW’s Board of Management and retiring as planned following the company’s Annual General Meeting on May 13, 2026.
- BMW’s Supervisory Board selected Nedeljković for his “strategic foresight, entrepreneurial thinking, and strong implementation skills,” per the release. BMW also said the incoming CEO has the trust and high regard of the automaker’s workforce.
Dive Insight:
Nedeljković has been a member of BMW’s Board of Management since 2019 and currently leads its production division. He joined the automaker as a trainee in 1993 and has held several executive-level positions over the years, including leadership roles at the Mini Plant in Oxford, U.K., senior VP corporate quality and managing director of the automaker’s manufacturing plants in Leipzig and Munich, per the release.
"Milan Nedeljković convinces with his strategic foresight, strong implementation skills, and entrepreneurial thinking,” said Dr. Nicolas Peter, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of BMW in a statement. “He stands for very focused management of resources—whether financial or ecological.”
Zipse was originally slated to step down after he turned 60 in February 2024, which is the typical retirement age for members of BMW’s Board of Management. But in September 2023, the automaker’s Supervisory Board made an exception to the company’s retirement rule and extended his contract, allowing Zipse to continue on as CEO until age 62.
BMW said Zipse helped the company navigate the challenges of the COVID 19 pandemic and was instrumental in leading the automaker’s electrification plans, including the development of its “Neue Klasse” electric vehicle platform, which BMW says was the “largest strategic project in the company’s history.”
A primary reason for extending Zispe’s contract was to ensure stable company leadership during the development of the Neue Klasse platform.
It was BMW’s first modular, software-based vehicle platform intended for large-scale EV production. The first model launched on the platform is the new iX3 electric SUV which was unveiled at IAA Mobility 2025 in Munich in September. U.S. deliveries of the iX3 are slated to begin in summer 2026.
"Oliver Zipse has always prioritized BMW’s success. He consistently took a clear stance—even in the face of great external headwinds—and thus kept the company on track during turbulent times,” said Peter.
Although BMW remains committed to its long-term electrification plans, during a Q&A session after the automaker’s Q3 financial presentation earlier this month, Zipse voiced his opposition to the European Union’s plans to enforce zero-tailpipe vehicle sales from 2035, which are currently under review.
