BMW has made senior staff changes in North America as Sebastian Mackensen has become president and CEO and Stefan Kramer will become executive vice-president and chief financial officer.

Mr Mackensen succeeds Bernhard Kuhnt as president and CEO for BMW of North America and head of BMW Group Region Americas. Mr Kuhnt, who has held the position for almost five years, has been appointed to head BMW’s German market.

Mr Mackensen will manage all sales, marketing and distribution activities for the BMW Group from Canada to Argentina, in addition to serving as president and CEO for BMW of North America.

He joined the BMW Group in 2013 as the head of the Mini sales organisation globally before taking overall responsibility for the British brand in 2015. He has led the BMW and Mini business, including the brand-owned dealerships, in Germany since October 2018.

Mr Kramer replaces Stefan Richmann who becomes CEO for BMW Group Financial Services in the US and Region Americas. All appointments take effect September 1, 2021.

Mr Kramer will join the BMW of North America executive board and lead financial operations for the company, reporting directly to Sebastian Mackensen.

His responsibilities include overseeing finance and controlling, risk management, treasury, payroll, procurement, information technology, taxes, and facility management.

Mr Kramer, who has a career spanning over 25 years, holds international business experience in various financial leadership positions both in Germany and in the US.

He began his career at PwC in 1996 where most of his work focused on finance projects in the telecommunication and automotive industry.

By Neil Dowling