Oliver Zipse

Born in Heidelberg, Germany, Oliver Zipse is Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, having been appointed in 2019. Since he joined the German carmaker in 1991 as a trainee, he has held various responsibilities within the company in development, technical planning and production in Munich, South Africa, and the UK. In his leadership role, Zipse has successfully expanded BMW’s e-mobility production network, supporting a shift to electric and self-driving cars.

Zipse's previous roles at BMW include Managing Director of MINI Plant Oxford from 2007 to 2008; Senior Vice President Technical Planning until 2012; and Senior Vice President Global Corporate Planning and Product Strategy until 2015. In May 2015, he was appointed to the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for worldwide production.

Zipse holds a Dipl. Ing. degree from the Technical University of Darmstadt and an Executive MBA from the WHU Koblenz and Kellogg School of Management. He is an honorary professor at the Technical University of Munich. Zipse is also Deputy Chair of the Senate of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and a former president of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association. He is the co-author of "Road to Net Zero: Strategic Pathways for Sustainability-Driven Business Transformation." In December 2023, he was the recipient of the Erich-Gutenberg Award.