BMW Group Appoints Stefan Gerhaeusser as Head of BMW Group Technology Office USA.

Mountain View, CA – July 30, 2025… BMW announced today a leadership transition at BMW Group Technology Office USA in Mountain View, CA. Stefan Gerhaeusser has been appointed Vice President, Head BMW Group Technology Office USA, effective August 1, 2025. He succeeds Claus Dorrer, who will return to Munich to lead product development for the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant and other in-car digital experiences, a role previously held by Gerhaeusser.

“Our technology offices play an important role in securing BMW Group’s position as a technology and innovation leader – now and into the future,” said Rudolph Bencker, Senior Vice President Inventions and Innovations Management, BMW AG. “I’d like to thank Claus for his leadership over these past three years and welcome Stefan into his new role. Strong leadership has been critical to our success, and I am confident that Stefan will build on what Claus and others before him have started.” 

Gerhaeusser originally joined BMW Group in 2008 and first spent time as an IT specialist with BMW Manufacturing Co. in South Carolina before moving back to Munich where he worked in various software development roles for infotainment projects, human-machine interface, and display cluster development.

As Head of BMW Group Technology Office USA, Dorrer spearheaded the development of several new innovations and research projects in collaboration with U.S. technology partners with a focus on augmented reality, AI-based functionalities, digital experiences, E-mobility and battery technology. During his tenure, BMW Group Technology Office USA celebrated its 25^th anniversary and presented the BMW Vision Neue Klasse in the U.S. for the first time. 

BMW Group Technology Office USA. 

BMW Group Technology Office USA it is an important R&D hub for BMW in the U.S. and part of a global network of BMW Group technology offices, which are strategically based in key technology hotspots around the world and a critical aspect of the company’s open innovation approach. In addition to Silicon Valley, and Munich, locations include Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Tel Aviv, and Tokyo.

BMW Group Technology USA became the first BMW Group technology research and development office located outside of Munich when it first opened in Silicon Valley in 1998. Originally based in Palo Alto, the office moved to its current location in Mountain View in 2011. 

The goal and collective mission of this expansive network is to collect local insight, identify emerging technologies, and work with key partners to envision the future of BMW Group products and customer experiences.

# # #

BMW Group in the United States.
BMW of North America, LLC was established 50 years ago to support the sales, marketing and distribution of BMW automobiles in the U.S. BMW Motorrad was brought into the fold in 1980. In 1993 BMW Group Financial Services NA, LLC was founded, and one year later BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC began assembling vehicles in South Carolina. In 2002 and 2003, BMW Group established MINI USA, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC relaunching two iconic brands and rounding out its product portfolio.

Today, the BMW Group has a nationwide corporate footprint in the U.S. which consists of nearly 30 locations in 12 different states. Beyond the National Sales Company and Financial Services headquarters in Woodcliff Lake, NJ, its manufacturing plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and numerous other operational facilities, BMW Group in the U.S. also includes Designworks, a strategic design consultancy in Santa Monica, CA, BMW Group Technology Office USA, a technology research and development center in Silicon Valley, and BMW i Ventures, a venture capital fund, also in Silicon Valley.

BMW Group Plant Spartanburg is the largest single BMW production facility in the world, and the global center of competence for BMW Sports Activity Vehicles including the X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, and XM. The plant assembles more than 1,500 vehicles each day, and up to 450,000 annually. Since 1994, Plant Spartanburg has assembled over 7 million BMW vehicles in the U.S.

The BMW Group sales organization in the U.S. is represented through a network of 350 BMW retailers, 144 BMW motorcycle retailers, 105 MINI passenger car dealers, and 38 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. The company’s activities provide and support over 120,000 jobs across the U.S. and contribute more than 43.3 billion to the U.S. economy annually.

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

# # #