Reports have surfaced that BMW AG’s CEO Harald Krueger is in limbo amid internal plans to shift toward electric and autonomous vehicles, as well as weakening markets.
Some board members of the luxury brand are said to be questioning Krueger’s capacity to lead the company and will be discussing the CEO’s second-term in the coming weeks with his current tenure set to end in May 2020.
An announcement on whether Krueger will keep his position or not will be made either in June or July.
BMW is currently looking at the possibility of making a fundamental switch to electric cars, as with many other carmakers. However, the costly transition is not only limited to electric cars, but also includes new business models and new mobility options such as ride hailing.
Since 2016, BMW has struggled to regain its previous spot as the top luxury brand, a position it has held for a decade. Experts blame the brand’s mediocre model redesigns in the last few years as the main reason for this. In 2018, amid weaker global markets and trade tensions, the company’s profits suffered a huge blow.
While Krueger’s future remains doubtful, another player is currently drawing attention. Oliver Zipse, the company’s 55-year-old head of production, is reportedly being considered as a possible successor. A spokesman, however, refused to comment on CEO succession plans in the company.
Krueger was named the youngest leader of a major automaker when he was appointed CEO of BMW in 2015. But with a divided management board, the 53-year-old seems to be having a hard time exercising authority, eventually leading to the fallout of potential partnerships and plans for new technology.
Although BMW has merged its car-sharing business with Daimler AG in 2018, it hasn’t been able to catch up with new competitors. Daimler, Toyota Motor Corp. and Volvo Cars successfully forged deals with Uber Technologies Inc., while Jaguar Land Rover is set to develop self-driving electric cars with Google affiliate Waymo.
Helmut Panke was the last CEO to leave BMW after just one term. He vacated his position in 2006 just before he turned 60, the proclaimed age limit for the company’s executives at the time.
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