MINI ANNOUNCES SENIOR MANAGEMENT CHANGE FOR AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.

Matt Schmidt has been appointed as the new General Manager of MINI Australia and New Zealand, effective 1st July 2021.  

In his new role, Mr Schmidt will lead the MINI brand through the development of long-term sales and marketing strategies while working closely with dealerships across both markets.  He succeeds Brett Waudby, who moves into the role of Head of Retail Network and will oversee sales operations for the BMW brand across Australia. 

Mr Schmidt has been part of BMW Group Australia’s management team for the past 17 years.  He brings extensive experience gained from his current role as National BMW Sales Manager for Operations & Planning, which includes overseeing production planning of wholesale and retail stock management. Mr Schmidt has previously worked as Sales Manager of BMW Special Vehicles and in various marketing communication roles for both BMW and MINI.

Wolfgang Buechel, CEO of BMW Group Australia, commented on the changes: “Brett and Matt are two experienced leaders with considerable knowledge of the BMW Group brands.  They have brought important change and growth to both BMW and MINI and their expertise will be of great benefit to their new positions and their new teams.”

Under Mr Waudby’s leadership, MINI has recorded double digit sales growth across both the Australia and New Zealand markets. During his tenure, numerous creative marketing and sales campaigns were implemented as well as introduction of a dynamic product portfolio that includes the first-ever plug-in hybrid Countryman and fully electric MINI Electric Hatch, both of which launched over the past 18 months.  In addition, both markets have achieved the highest sales share for John Cooper Works (JCW), MINI’s high-performance product range.

Mr Buechel added: “It’s an incredibly exciting time for both BMW and MINI.  Both brands are evolving to include an expanding range of plug-in hybrid and fully electric models, which are integral to our overall electrification strategy. In addition, the deployment of progressive digital solutions that provide customers with a convenient and quick way to view and purchase our products will also remain a key focus area of our business.” 

The news comes as BMW and MINI achieve outstanding year-to-date sales growth. To the end of June 2021, BMW registrations had totalled 11,030 – which was an 18.9 per cent increase on last year – while MINI registrations were at 1,528, a 39 per cent increase on 2020.

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The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises 31 production and assembly facilities in 15 countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2020, the BMW Group sold over 2.3 million passenger vehicles and more than 169,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2019 was € 7.118 billion on revenues amounting to € 104.210 billion. As of 31 December 2019, the BMW Group had a workforce of 126,016 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.

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BMW Group New Zealand

With its 10 BMW Dealerships and 6 MINI dealerships, BMW Group New Zealand is one of the country’s leading premium automotive brands. BMW Group New Zealand outperformed the industry with BMW and MINI registering a cumulative total of 2,255 units in 2020, ending the year as the #1 premium car brand in the country.

The all-new BMW Store is set to further bolster the success of the Group within the local market, providing customers with a fast and efficient way to secure new vehicles online.

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