BMW Appoints Milan Nedeljkovic as New CEO

BMW’s production division head Milan Nedeljkovic has been appointed as the new CEO, replacing outbound Oliver Zipse.

BMW has appointed its production division head, Milan Nedeljkovic, as the company’s new CEO. Set to replace outgoing CEO Oliver Zipse later in May 2026, Nedeljkovic has been part of BMW’s management board since 2019.

The Serbian joined BMW in 1993 and has since then held management roles at multiple BMW Group plants, including in Munich and Leipzig in Germany, as well as in Oxford, UK, before assuming the role as senior vice president for Corporate Quality. With his appointment as the new CEO set to officially begin later on May 14, 2026, BMW also confirms that Nedeljkovic’s contract will extend into 2031.

BMW's current CEO Oliver Zipse

As for the outgoing boss, Zipse has spent 35 years at BMW, where his latest posting as the CEO started back in 2019. Throughout his six-year tenure, Zipse oversaw a turbulent period not only for BMW but also for the whole automotive industry, including the COVID-19 pandemic, supply-chain disruptions, as well as assisting the early transition of BMW’s electrification strategy.

More importantly, the outbound CEO also oversaw the development of BMW’s Neue Klasse platform, which he positioned as the brand’s new defining technology and product programme for the next decade.

"Oliver Zipse has made a significant contribution to the BMW Group and deserves our sincere gratitude. He has led BMW through global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and represents the Neue Klasse as the largest strategic project in the company’s history," said Dr. Nicholas Peter, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of BMW AG.

"Oliver Zipse has always prioritized BMW’s success. He consistently took a clear stance—even in the face of great external headwinds—and thus kept the company on track during turbulent times."

Back to the new CEO, the appointment of Milan Nedeljkovic puts a production and manufacturing expert, rather than a sales or product strategist, in charge of BMW at the most crucial time for the automaker, as it is set to expand its lineup with up to six new EV models based on the Neue Klasse architecture, starting with the second-gen iX3.

Besides focusing on electrification, BMW also plans to overhaul its current ICE lineup to make them relevant and on par with their electric counterparts, with the current G60-gen 5 Series set to become the first model to get this makeover.