BMW chief Kruger throws in the towel. Now, the Supervisory Board intends to nominate a successor. According to a report in the newspaper, this could be the current Board member for Production, Oliver Zipse.
After weeks of speculation about his future at the helm of BMW Harald Krüger, has announced his withdrawal. He wanted to prolong his in April 2020 contract as group chief Executive, said the automaker on Friday as a surprise. Now is a matter for the Supervisory Board with the question of succession. The Committee will at its next meeting on 18. July advise. Pending a decision by Kruger shall perform his duties unchanged.
The 53-Year-old has four years at the helm of the Munich-based car manufacturer. He had been called in may 2015, to succeed Norbert Reithofer, who has moved to the top of the Supervisory Board and now a successor to Kruger to look for. “After over ten years on the Board, more than four years as Chairman of the Board of the BMW Group, I want to Orient myself now for a new career,” said Kruger, according to the memo. The mechanical engineer had been in 2003, in the Board of management of BMW called and was chief of staff and chief of the brands Mini and Rolls-Royce.
Health problems as a reason?
After a two-forecast cuts and the loss of the premium crown to the Stuttgart-based rival Daimler had been speculation that the Board could extend the contract to Kruger. Recently, there were also critical voices to the work of the Board, with a view to electro-mobility.
Scary moment at the Frankfurt motor show 2015: A bout of weakness brings to Harald Kruger of the legs
Stir shortly after his arrival, break to be caught together at a presentation at the International automobile exhibition IAA in Frankfurt. Since then, there were always speculations about his state of health. Kruger said on Friday that the upheaval in the auto industry, “has requested that each employee and any employees of enormous effort”. Ask for an extension to his contract had not answered Krüger at the annual General meeting in may.
According to the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” to production the Board of management Oliver Zipse new Board will be Chairman. The 55-Year-old could be in the next meeting of the Supervisory Board appointed, as the newspaper reported on Friday, citing the group’s circles. Zipse had been appointed in may, 2015 in the Board of Directors of the group and was followed by one of Kruger to the Post of production Executive.
hb/tko (dpa,rtr)