Christoph Stark appointed President & CEO BMW Group Region China

Beijing November 9, 2004; Effective from 1 November 2004, the BMW Group has set up a separate sales region responsible for the Chinese markets, including the Chinese Mainland, Hongkong, Macao and Taiwan. The company thus further strengthens its sales organisation in China, after having successfullly expanded its presence in the Chinese markets by establishing a production and sales joint venture in Shenyang with its Chinese Partner Brilliance China Automotive.

For the newly established organisation, Dr. Christoph Stark (50) has been appointed as President & CEO BMW Group Region China. Based in Beijing, Stark will be responsible for all BMW Group activities in the Chinese markets, including sales, marketing and distribution of imported BMW and MINI automobiles, as well as the coordination of the BMW Group interests in its joint venture BMW Brilliance Automotive. Stark will report to Dr. Michael Ganal, who is responsible for Sales and Marketing on the Board of Management of BMW AG.

Altogether, the sales organisation of the BMW Group now consists of the regions Germany (Ludwig Willisch), Europe (David Panton), Americas (Tom Purves), Asia/Pacific/Africa/Eastern Europe (Klaus Berning) and China (Christoph Stark).

The BMW Group has been present in China with a representative office in Beijing since 1994. During the subsequent years, the company gradually expanded the scope of its operations in China, successfully positioning itself as a leading supplier of premium automotive products. In May 2004, the BMW Group and Brilliance China Automotive celebrated the Official Grand Opening of their joint venture plant BMW Brilliance Automotive in Shenyang, the capital of the Liaoning Province in the North-East of the People's Republic of China.