BMW of North America Announces New Vice President, Corporate Communications

Woodcliff Lake, NJ – September 27, 2011… Today, the BMW Group announced a change in its North America senior management team effective October 1, the same day that Ludwig Willisch becomes President and CEO, BMW of North America LLC.  

Dirk Arnold, currently Department Manager, BMW Corporate Communications, will become the new Vice President, Corporate Communications, BMW of North America LLC.  Dirk will be responsible for leading the North American Corporate Communications department and team, encompassing the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

He succeeds Tom Kowaleski, who will assume new responsibilities as consultant to the BMW Group Corporate Communications team.  Tom will provide strategic communications counsel which will include furthering the company’s relationship with key constituents and groups in specific areas and supporting communications initiatives.

Dirk Arnold is a 20 year veteran of Marketing and Corporate Communications.  He joined the BMW Group in 2002 in Munich managing Innovation and Technology Strategy in the global Marketing Department.  Since then, Dirk has served as Head of Central Market Research and Department Manager of Global Product Communications in Munich, responsible for BMW automobiles, MINI and BMW Motorcycles.

BMW Group In America

BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975.  Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003.  The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and the Rolls-Royce brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, a strategic design consultancy in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country.  BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of BMW Group’s global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all X5 and X3 Sports Activity Vehicles and X6 Sports Activity Coupes.  The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 339 BMW passenger car and BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 139 BMW motorcycle retailers, 110 MINI passenger car dealers, and 36 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers.  BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group’s sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

Information about BMW Group products is available to consumers via the Internet at:  www.bmwgroupna.com

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Journalist note:Information about BMW Group and its products in the USA is available to journalists on-line at www.bmwgroupusanews.com and www.press.bmwna.com. 

Contact:

Kenn Sparks

Business Communications Manager

BMW of North America, LLC

(201) 307-4467/ Kenn.Sparks@bmwna.com

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