Outgoing BMW chief Oliver Zipse has never reached the superstar league of CEOs in terms of visibility, quotability or any of the metrics that make for a colourful story in the seven years he’s been in charge.
But there’s no questioning his effectiveness. Amid a sea of industry red ink from 2025 financial results, BMW sailed serenely into headwinds such as falling Chinese sales, US tariffs and wild swings in EV take-up to record a group margin of 7.7% from profits of more than €7 billion (£6bn).





















