[Jason]

BIMMERPOST NEWS

BMW Plans to Hire Former Audi Sales Chief Peter Schwarzenbauer

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UPDATE 3/14/13: Schwarzenbauer, 53, has now been hired as a BMW board member in charge of Mini, Rolls-Royce, BMW motorcycles and group aftersales.

The sales war posturing between BMW and its German competitors continues. Bloomberg reports that BMW has plans to hire Peter Schwarzenbauer, the former Audi AG sales chief. The report has Schwarzenbauer joining BMW next month, in a top level management position which will report directly to BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer.

This move comes during a period of all out sales battles between BMW, Audi and Mercedes, each seemingly intent on capturing the top sales crown each month (and year). BMW recently regained the top spot in global luxury auto sales from Audi last month.

BMW was able to secure the top spot on strong sales figures from increased demand for the 3 Series and X1. BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer said in Geneva this week that the carmaker's factories are running at full capacity to keep up with customer demand. Sales of the X1 SUV through February gained 40 percent, while the 3 series climbed 26 percent.

More on Schwarzenbauer and his planned hiring:

Schwarzenbauer, Audi’s sales chief for more than four years, led the brand’s expansion by raising its U.S. presence, boosting sales in China and gaining market share in Europe. He left in August as part of a broader management reshuffle by parent Volkswagen AG. (VOW)

“He’s certainly a distinguished guy and lots speaks for his talent,” said Juergen Pieper, an analyst with Bankhaus Metzler in Frankfurt who recommends selling BMW shares. “Audi was riding a growth wave” during his tenure as sales chief.

In Schwarzenbauer’s first year on the job in 2008, Audi crossed the threshold of 1 million in car sales. The brand’s deliveries rose to a record 1.46 million vehicles in 2012.

BMW Reshuffle

Audi reported 2.77 billion euros (3.61 billion euros) in operating profit and a return on sales of 8.1 percent in the year he joined. Operating profit last year surged to 5.38 billion euros, with an 11 percent operating margin, making Audi one of the world’s most profitable carmakers. Audi CEO Rupert Stadler reiterated yesterday his plan to dethrone BMW from the top spot in deliveries by the end of the decade.

BMW last March appointed Milagros Caina-Andree as its first female management board member, with responsibility for personnel. The appointment expanded the board to eight. Harald Krueger, who was personnel chief, took on a new role overseeing sales and product lines of the Mini and Rolls-Royce brands as well as BMW’s motorcycle unit.

Board members Klaus Draeger and Herbert Diess also swapped jobs as part of the reorganization, with Draeger taking over purchasing and Diess overseeing development.

Audi Departure

Schwarzenbauer left Audi, the largest earnings contributor at VW, in the wake of the management revamp. The reshuffle last year also triggered the departure of VW’s former China chief Karl-Thomas Neumann, who became CEO at General Motors Co.’s (GM) Opel unit earlier this month, and Audi’s former head of research and development Michael Dick.

VW CEO Martin Winterkorn told reporters last June during a press conference in Stuttgart that Schwarzenbauer would leave Audi, without elaborating on the reason for his departure.

The 53-year-old auto executive was born in the Bavarian city of Weissenburg, Germany, and went to high school in Munich and Nova Friburgo, Brazil. After studying business administration at the Munich University of Applied Sciences, he joined BMW in 1984 and held several positions within the marketing and sales department.

He left BMW to join Porsche AG in 1994 and became CEO of the Stuttgart, Germany-based sports-car maker’s North American division in 2003. Five years later, he took over the management board position responsible for sales and marketing at Audi.

[xDrive35i]

So who gets the Audi job??

[Rickster311]

Originally Posted by xDrive35i

So who gets the Audi job??

Luca de Meo. He was one of the board members reshuffled in September 2012.

[JulieDriving]

New car designs and sales strategies are years in the making/ take years to come to fruition.

No ways those great sales numbers when he first started working with Audi have anything to do with him. He could have just been riding the wave created by his predecessors for the 4 years he was there. So his record at Audi doesn't mean much IMHO.

I hope (and would expect) that those who hired at BMW hired him not just because of that.

[US///M3]

Originally Posted by JulieDriving

New car designs and sales strategies are years in the making/ take years to come to fruition.

No ways those great sales numbers when he first started working with Audi have anything to do with him. He could have just been riding the wave created by his predecessors for the 4 years he was there. So his record at Audi doesn't mean much IMHO.

I hope (and would expect) that those who hired at BMW hired him not just because of that.

Had He made some bad decisions when he started at Audi, don't you think 4 years later that would've affected current Audi sales?
He had worked for BMW for 9 years, they must be familiar with the guy.He also worked for Porsche for 14 years.
One of the things He said,"long term there's no chance you can "fool" the market...".

[strati1]

Awesome lets be VAG I wonder why he left

[MSPORTWORLD]

BMW is going to continue to make that big money

[Vector Pilot]

His first job, convince customers "Lines" are good.
Highest Regards

[Oli Owen]

All aboard the money train Audi Service

[Jason]

UPDATE 3/14/13: Schwarzenbauer, 53, has now been hired as a BMW board member in charge of Mini, Rolls-Royce, BMW motorcycles and group aftersales.

[JulieDriving]

Originally Posted by US///M3

Had He made some bad decisions when he started at Audi, don't you think 4 years later that would've affected current Audi sales?
He had worked for BMW for 9 years, they must be familiar with the guy.He also worked for Porsche for 14 years.
One of the things He said,"long term there's no chance you can "fool" the market...".

Well, that sounds a lot better.

Especially his quote.