Mr Nielsen is currently the director of sales and marketing at BMW Group Middle East, a position he has held for the past two and a half years.

He has been working with BMW Group since 2008, beginning his career with the company as director of sales for BMW Group Denmark in Copenhagen.

After four years, he moved to Munich and took on the position of area manager Europe, market group north, from January 2012 to December 2014. In January 2015, he moved to South-East Asia to take on the role of director of sales and marketing for BMW Group Thailand until 2019.

BMW Group Asia’s current managing director, Christopher Wehner, will relocate back to Munich and take on the position of vice president for product and launch management of Mini.

“We are extremely excited to welcome Lars Nielsen back to Southeast Asia, this time to lead BMW Group Asia in Singapore,” said BMW Group senior vice president region Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, Hendrik von Kuenheim.

“His vast sales and marketing experience in Europe, the Middle East and Thailand strongly position him to lead the diverse group of markets in this region.

“Mr Nielsen’s experience in the areas of electrification and online sales will also be invaluable as we look to achieve our sustainability goals in the region and look to take our sales process online to create a seamless customer journey.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Christopher Wehner for his contribution during his tenure at BMW Group Asia.

“Under his strong leadership during these uncertain times, the BMW Group Asia region has achieved many milestones, including segment leadership in Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines in 2020, record sales in the BMW Group Asia region and in Singapore in H1 2021, and managing 14 markets through a pandemic that still continues to surge in the region.”

BMW Group Asia comprises 14 markets, including Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Brunei, Bangladesh, Nepal, Guam, New Caledonia, Tahiti, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar.

The division increased retail sales by 21 per cent in the first half of 2021 compared to the same period in 2019.

Mini Asia also increased retail sales in H1 2021, by 12 per cent, compared to the same period in 2019 and has more than doubled sales since 2011.

By Neil Dowling