On December 9, BMW Group announced that Milan Nedeljković will succeed Oliver Zipse as CEO of the BMW Group. This move has been approved by the BMW Group Supervisory Board.
Oliver Zipse, 61, will step down on May 13, 2026 (the day of the 2026 Annual General Meeting), ending his 35-year career at BMW. Members of the BMW Group Board of Directors typically follow the mandatory retirement age of 60, but Zipse's term was extended to 2026 in 2023, exceeding the usual retirement age.
The 56-year-old Nedlikovic will take office the following day (May 14, 2026), and his contract will last until 2031.
Milan Nedeljković
It is reported that Nedlikovic was born in Serbia and studied mechanical engineering at RWTH Aachen University and MIT, before obtaining a doctorate in engineering from the Technical University of Munich. He is also a senior employee of the BMW Group, having joined as an intern in 1993 and becoming a member of the BMW Group Management Board in 2019, where he currently serves as Head of Production. He has been responsible for the manufacturing network during BMW's transition to electric vehicles. He was the head of the factory that launched the i3 in 2013 and oversaw the transformation of BMW plants to produce multiple powertrains on the same production line.
In a statement, Nicolas Peter, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of BMW Group, said: “Nedlikovic possesses strategic vision, strong execution and entrepreneurial mindset, which can unite employees and inspire them to achieve their best performance. These are key leadership qualities that will help BMW maintain its successful trajectory during the current transformation.”
Oliver Zipse
Peter also thanked Zipse for his contributions to the BMW Group. He said, "Regardless of changes in external pressures, Zipse has always maintained a clear stance, prioritizing the success of the BMW Group and guiding the company to stay on the right track during turbulent times."
After leaving BMW, Zipse is expected to join the board of directors of Airbus in Europe.
