First commendation ceremony for the “BMW Group Award for Social Commitment of Employees”. A sign of appreciation and esteem for exceptional voluntary commitment.

Munich. Last night, the BMW Group hosted a gala function on the occasion of the first presentation of the “BMW Group Commendation for Social Commitment of Employees”. The initiative launched in 2011 is patronized by BMW AG Board Member Harald Krüger and honors members of staff who have shown an exceptional commitment to social causes, thus making a significant contribution to society. As part of the initiative, a special prize for particularly committed young people was presented by the Doppelfeld Foundation. The awards come with a total prize money of 25,000 Euros.

All in all, five employees or group of employees were delighted to receive the commendation and the recognition for their pioneering social commitment at a gala function staged at the BMW Museum in Munich. Keynote speakers at the event included Manfred Schoch, Head of BMW AG’s Works Council, Maximilian Schöberl, Head of Corporate Communications at the BMW Group and the renowned journalist Susanne Kronzucker.

Harald Krüger, who also served as the Chairman of the jury panel, was impressed by the outstanding voluntary commitment of the company’s workforce: “Altogether, we received 83 impressive submissions from various German sites. These are projects that make things happen far beyond the borders of Germany, indeed all over the world. The quality and diversity of the submissions exceeded the jury’s expectations by far.”  

The awards

Consequently, the jury, which comprised not only Harald Krüger, Susanne Kronzucker, Manfred Schoch and Maximilian Schöberl but also members of the Works Council and senior executives from all corporate divisions, decided spontaneously to bestow an additional commendation for exemplary leadership behavior.  

The commendation went to Dr. Gerald Degen, who serves as an executive role model thanks to his tireless voluntary commitment. During the time he worked for the BMW Group in China, he showed great commitment to the cause of fighting the prevailing poverty in the country. Several projects he has initiated, including sponsorships or support for eye surgery, are up and running successfully to this day. After his return to Germany, Dr. Degen launched a refurbishing project at a children’s home in Putzbrunn near Munich together with his employees from his department. This initiative not only focused on overhauling the building itself, but also championed team spirit and mutual trust as well as the appreciation of individual talents and skills.   

Further award winners of the “BMW Group Commendation for Social Commitment of Employees” included the cooperative venture “Die Ofenmacher e.V.” (The Oven Makers). The affiliation of 12 members of staff impressed the jury with its unique combination of professional skills and personal commitment. Since 2010, the project has supported people in developing countries in building safe ovens with a smoke vent at a reasonable charge and with simple means – so as to avoid fire accidents or chronic diseases caused by smoke and to promote climate protection.

 The Padma Children’s Foundation, launched by Gregor Kovacic in January 2004, focuses on educational support projects. It aims to improve the living conditions of children and teenagers in various regions of the world in the long term. To this end, the foundation’s founder and BMW Group staff provide both practical and financial support.  

Tom Engel and Michael Mendrina were honored for their commitment in the field of traffic safety. The two BMW Group employees took an active share in developing a training program that raises awareness among schoolchildren for the dangers of the blind spot in driving by reenacting traffic situations and by developing specific training materials.  

The special prize of the Doppelfeld Foundation went to 24-year-old Klaus Daminger who from a young age has served as a volunteer of the Red Cross and the ambulance service. It was due to his initiative that the community of Mengkofen in Lower Bavaria managed to establish the medical emergency service “Helfer vor Ort” (Help where you need it) which aims to close the supply gap for medical services in rural areas.

The Doppelfeld Foundation

The Doppelfeld Foundation was set up by Vera and Volker Doppelfeld. Volker Doppelfeld served as BMW AG’s CFO for 17 years. He joined the company’s Supervisory Board in 1998 and served as its head from 1999 to 2004. Already during his time with the BMW Group, social commitment was a top priority on Volker Doppelfeld’s agenda.  

The BMW Group’s social commitment

Global social commitment has been a part of the BMW Group’s corporate culture for decades. Today, it is also an inherent part of the company’s sustainability strategy. Its commitment focuses on issues relevant to the company, such as traffic safety, education, intercultural understanding and health promotion (www.bmwgroup.com/socialcomittment).

If you have any queries please contact:  

Konstanze Carreras, Konstanze.Carreras@bmw.de,

Corporate Social Responsibility
Phone: +49-89-382-52894 

Jochen Frey, Jochen.frey@bmw.de

Spokesperson Human Resources

Phone: +49-89-382-41125

Media Website: www.press.bmw.de

Email: presse@bmwgroup.com