Auto industry: BMW development chief Fröhlich stops

BMW board member Klaus Fröhlich

The experienced car manager leaves the BMW executive board.

(Photo: dpa)

Munich bei BMW There is another change in the board: Development chief Klaus Fröhlich leaves after his 60th birthday, the automaker announced on Thursday in Munich. The supervisory board appointed Frank Weber as successor. The 53-year-old engineer currently heads the product line Rolls-Royce and BMW– Upper class and will be the Group’s Chief Development Officer from July.

Weber has “a decisive part in the success of our extremely successful large series BMW 7, 8, X5 and X7”, said supervisory board chief Norbert Reithofer. At the same time, he paid tribute to Fröhlich “the highest recognition for his many years of successful work not only on the board of BMW AG”. He has given important impulses to electromobility and digital networking.

Fröhlich turns 60 in June, reaching the unwritten age limit for BMW board members. He has been a member of the Management Board since December 2014 and was considered prior to the appointment of Oliver Zipse to the CEO last August also as a candidate to succeed his predecessor Harald Krüger.

After moving from the production department to the top of the group, Zipse had already filled the positions for production and personnel on the board. Ilka Horstmeier has been appointed new head of HR, Milan Nedeljkovic the new head of production. Like Zipse and Weber, both are home-grown. At BMW, it is a tradition to fill vacant positions with people from within the company.

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