BMW South Africa & Sub-Saharan Africa announced the appointment of new CEO Peter van Binsbergen, who officially took over the reins from Tim Abbott in January 2021. Van Binsbergen brings a unique and international perspective as the first South African CEO in the group’s history on the continent. Fittingly, he has returned to his home country to assume the position – the same place where he started his career with the BMW Group almost 27 years ago.
Having worked in various leadership positions across the Group, van Binsbergen plans to use his wealth of expertise and leadership skills to drive success for BMW South Africa and the rest of the country. His international background will also prove valuable in his new role. This includes serving as Director of Marketing at BMW Group Japan, Vice President of Sales Channel Development and Project Future Retail at BMW Group Headquarters in Munich. Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at BMW Brilliance Automotive China and heading up BMW’s home market in Germany. Most recently, he was at the helm as Senior Vice President of Customer Support.
The new CEO expressed his excitement, “I am thrilled to return to the South African team and am honoured to be leading the local operations. I have had the privilege of working in numerous cultures and roles and have been able to learn from each. These learnings, combined with great relationships within the BMW Group, will stand me in good stead in the years ahead. Likewise, I will rely on my colleagues’ market knowledge and expertise to make the most of the opportunities along the way.”
In a challenging economic climate with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, van Binsbergen explained he would focus on a customer-first approach, the company’s profitability and that of its retail partners.
Some of his initial priorities include optimising the New Retail Sales Model (NRSM) and ensuring an immediate end to the negative sales trend from the past years. Being a stable part of BMW’s worldwide production network and the expansion of the DevOps Hub SA, which is on its way of becoming the fastest growing IT company in South Africa, are key priorities as the local team cements its position in the BMW Group’s worldwide operations.
“Essential to economic recovery as a whole, and the car market in particular, is getting the Coronavirus under control – not only on a macro level but also on a personal level, as healthy associates are the backbone of our company – 2020 was the low point for us all, from now on we strive for steady growth,” van Binsbergen added.
Aligned to the BMW Group’s global approach, navigating the pandemic and ensuring business continuity will remain top of mind for the South Africa team. This calls for new levels of flexibility and collaboration, striving to deliver a world-class experience that customers have come to expect from the brand.
“The Group prides itself on consciously looking ahead to the future, despite difficult times”, van Binsbergen noted, “this is evident as we prepare our production network to meet demands”.
Under the leadership of van Binsbergen, BMW South Africa will continue to positively impact communities through its CSI programs under the umbrella of “We Build More Than Just Cars”.
