(Yicai) Feb. 2 -- German luxury carmaker BMW Group has appointed Christian Ach as its new president and chief executive officer for China, responsible for coordinating and overseeing a wide range of market activities in the country.

Ach, who currently leads market operations in Germany, will replace Sean Green, effective April 1, BMW announced on Jan. 30.

He began his career at BMW at the company’s sales branch in Munich in 1998 and has held several management positions at BMW’s sales organization since then. He was appointed CEO of BMW Germany on March 1, 2024.

“Under Ach’s leadership, the German market has performed exceptionally well,” said Jochen Goller, member of the BMW board of management responsible for customer, brands, and sales. “In addition to profitable sales growth and a clear expansion of our position as the segment leader, the German market has also seen very strong growth in sales of electrified vehicles.

“Today, one in five BMWs sold in Germany is fully electric,” Goller noted. “I firmly believe that, with his years of experience and proven sales expertise, Ach will make a decisive contribution to the Chinese market, which is so important to us.” 

In the past two years, the Chinese automotive market has undergone structural changes. Traditional luxury carmakers have been under growing pressure. In fact, BMW’s sales in China plunged 13 percent to 626,000 units last year from 2024.

BMW is now at a critical juncture in its strategic transformation. Neue Klasse, a concept developed by BMW to redefine its electric vehicle business, is the largest investment in the company’s history.

The first mass-produced model of Neue Klasse, the BMW iX3, debuted in Munich on Sept. 5 last year, and its China-made version will launch this year. BMW is launching a large-scale product campaign by introducing over 20 new vehicle models, including Neue Klasse models, in China this year and next year.

Editor: Futura Costaglione