Leadership changeover at high-performance car maker’s Research & Development department.

Munich. BMW M GmbH technical development is entering a new era. Alexander Karajlovic has been appointed the high-performance brand’s new Head of Development. He takes over from Dirk Häcker, who enters retirement after 11 years at BMW M and 37 years with the BMW Group. 

Franciscus van Meel, CEO of BMW M GmbH, says: “Dirk Häcker’s departure sees the long-term Head of Development at BMW M GmbH bow out to start his well-earned retirement. His name is inextricably linked with an unprecedented product offensive, superior product quality and yearly sales records at BMW M. We are delighted to have found in Alexander Karajlovic an expert who, in addition to having worked at BMW M before, comes with a proven track record of chassis development know-how enabling him to take the helm and continue this legacy of success.”

Alexander Karajlovic is familiar with BMW M GmbH, having held various other management positions in the past. From November 2017 to the end of 2020 he was in charge of the sub-line of X derivatives and project manager for the BMW XM. As a result, he has been closely associated with the high-performance brand’s electrification. He had a strong influence on BMW M products from 1 January 2021 to 31 May 2023, serving as Vice President for the BMW M Product Line. He then spent several years in BMW Group Development, working in the areas of Requirements, Concepts and Driving Experience Integration. Now Alexander Karajlovic is coming back to BMW M GmbH.

Dirk Häcker has been with the BMW Group since 1988, and in leading positions focused on driving dynamics and later vehicle development since 2001. From 2015 he was in charge of Development at BMW M GmbH. What makes Dirk Häcker’s career in the automotive industry unusual is that he complemented his leadership career with that of a long-term driving instructor for the BMW Driving Experience. This again underlines his passion for BMW M as much as his competence in the area of driving dynamics. 

Under the leadership of Dirk Häcker, BMW M developed performance models covering all vehicle classes. They all share a combination of motor racing prowess and great everyday usability that makes them stand out from their competitors. In addition to achieving excellent sales year after year, these BMW M models also received numerous awards in industry events and readers’ polls. The most recent example is the BMW M5 Touring (energy consumption, weighted, combined: 18.1–17.6 kWh/100 km and 5.3–5.0 l/100 km (WLTP); CO₂ emissions, weighted, combined: 119–114 g/km (WLTP); CO₂ classes: with discharged battery G, weighted, combined D–C; fuel consumption with discharged battery: 10.9–10.7 l/100 km (WLTP)^1,*). It was awarded Germany’s coveted “Golden Steering Wheel” as best new car in the “Upper/Luxury Class”. The experts praised the great everyday usability of the BMW M5 Touring and judged the performance model ahead of its competitors in all driving disciplines as well. Overall, the BMW M5 Touring scored a higher points total than any other vehicle in this year’s event.