Mr McLean has worked for BMW Group Australia since 2013. During this time, he has served in several senior marketing roles for the Mini brand that included retail marketing specialist, CRM and digital marketing manager.

His most recent role was head of Mini marketing across both Australia and New Zealand, which under his leadership, transformed its digital strategy and customer journey, resulting in the first online vehicle sales for BMW Group in Australia.

BMW said that this online approach extended to the launch of the Mini Electric Hatch, with the majority of vehicles secured online and all sold out only a couple of months after the launch.

Mini was also the first premium automotive brand in Australia to advertise on TikTok.

In his new role, Mr McLean will help accelerate the growth of the BMW brand while driving awareness for its growing number of electrified vehicles and new technologies.

BMW Group Australia CEO Wolfgang Buechel said: “I look forward to welcoming Alex as a member of our management team and working closely with him to further develop the BMW brand.

“He is an experienced executive with knowledge of the BMW Group brands and strong marketing expertise, both of which play a crucial role in achieving our goal to strengthen our brand’s position in the Australian premium automotive segment.”

Mr McLean said: “I’m excited by the opportunity to move across to work with one of the greatest global brands.

“The BMW roundel is steeped in motoring history, with more than 100 years of stories to tell, yet it has an incredible future orientated approach focused on sustainable mobility.

“I look forward to further enhancing the brand during my tenure and launching new products and technologies that start with the fully electric BMW iX3, iX and i4.”

Mr McLean replaces Tony Sesto, who has decided to leave the company after 12 years of service. The change came into effect from January 1 this year.

Commenting on Mr Sesto’s contribution to the success of the BMW brand in Australia, Mr Buechel said: “I would like to thank Tony for his outstanding leadership and contribution to our business and collaborating with our 47 dealer partners across the nation to transform how we interact with our customers.”

The appointment of Mr McLean coincides with BMW reporting outstanding sales growth for 2021 in which it was the strongest growing German luxury automotive brand in Australia with 24,891 vehicles registered, a 5.8 per cent increase on the 2020 result.

The successor to Mr McLean in the role of Mini head of marketing is yet to be announced.

By Neil Dowling