It’s a big day for the BMW Group as not only is it announcing a new Rolls-Royce CEO but it’s also naming a new boss for the motorcycle division. Beginning November 1, 2023, Markus Flasch will become Head of BMW Motorrad. He is currently the head of the product line for all mid-size and luxury-class BMW vehicles and the Rolls-Royce marque. Previously, he had been in charge of BMW M for three years, until November 1, 2021, when Frank van Meel took the reins of the performance branch again.
Markus Flasch will supersede Markus Schramm, who will retire on October 31, 2023, after being the Head of BMW Motorrad since 2018. This year, the motorcycle branch is celebrating its centenary and aims to beat last year’s all-time record sales of 202,895 motorcycles and scooters. These milestones represented the perfect opportunity to inaugurate the BMW Motorrad Welt last week where the first M bike (M 1000 RR) was showcased among other products.
The corporate restructuring includes naming Nicolai Martin to replace Markus Flasch on January 1, 2024. Currently, Martin is in charge of the Driving Experience division responsible for the development of functions for a vehicle’s chassis, driving dynamics, and automated driving. Consequently, the BMW Group needed a new head of Driving Experience and has chosen Mihiar Ayoubi, currently in charge of development at Rolls-Royce. His new job starts at the beginning of next year.
Elsewhere, the head of Product Management for the BMW brand Bernd Körber will take extra responsibility for BMW Brand Management from November 1, 2023. He will be replacing Jens Thiemer, who has decided to leave the automotive conglomerate “by his own volition to pursue new challenges.”
This corporate shakeup follows a decision taken last week by the BMW Supervisory Board to reelect Oliver Zipse as BMW CEO until 2026. It’s safe to say the next few years will be hugely important as the initial Neue Klasse-based EVs are scheduled to come out in 2025.
Source: BMW Group