New leadership of BMW Group Australia

Strategic leadership changes to drive growth as Wolfgang Buechel promoted to Vice-President, Head of MINI Global Sales, and Vikram Pawah appointed CEO of BMW Group Australia

BMW Group has announced key leadership appointments to support its continued growth and transformation in Australia and globally.

Vikram Pawah, currently Chief Executive Officer of BMW Group India, has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of BMW Group Australia, a role he previously held between 2018-2020. His new appointment will be effective from 1 September 2025.

Under Mr. Pawah’s leadership, BMW Group India – one of the fastest-growing markets for BMW Group – has achieved record sales growth across both the BMW and MINI brands, with consistent year-on-year increases. He introduced the group’s electrification strategy in India by launching the first fully electric BMW and expanding the EV portfolio, positioning BMW as a leader in premium electrification. BMW Motorrad also experienced rapid growth under his leadership, becoming one of India’s fastest-growing premium motorcycle brands.

Wolfgang Buechel will be promoted to Vice-President, Head of MINI Global sales, based at the company’s headquarters in Munich. In this position, he will be responsible for developing and executing MINI’s global sales strategy, managing market performance worldwide, and identifying opportunities for growth across the markets for the brand.

During Mr Buechel’s tenure in Australia (2020-2025), he led BMW to reclaim its position as the leading premium automotive brand in 2023 after 11 years and advanced the company’s electrification strategy, achieving a 22 percent electric vehicle sales share compared with the industry’s 10 percent. This milestone positioned BMW as the leading premium electric vehicle brand in Australia, outperforming the combined EV sales of its core German competitors. Under his leadership, BMW and MINI achieved strong sales growth and increased premium market share across BMW, BMW M, and MINI, while also strengthening brand value and customer satisfaction. His commitment to people and collaboration was evident across the organisation, the dealer network and the wider community through strong partnerships with the University of Melbourne, RMIT, Opera Australia, and the PGA and WPGA, reflecting BMW’s commitment to supporting sport, art and culture and education.

Commenting on the management changes, Jean-Philippe Parain, Senior Vice President, Region Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa for BMW Group said: “Innovation and transformation are central to BMW Group’s corporate strategy, not only with how we produce our vehicles but also in how we lead our teams and drive business growth worldwide. Both Wolfgang and Vikram are exceptional leaders who have managed teams and supported our dealer networks successfully to bring significant growth across our business in Australia and India.  I am confident they will continue to drive success in their new roles.”