BMW NA shuffles managers: O’Donnell in, Mosher retires

BMW CCA News

Jim O’Donnell moves from managing director of BMW UK to president of BMW NA.
Feb. 8, 2008
BMW today named Jim O’Donnell as President of BMW of North America. He also takes on the positon of VP Operations, succeeding Howard Mosher, who retires March 31. O’Donnell currently is Managing Director, BMW (UK) Ltd., and – this is confusing – not the same person as Jim (James L.) McDowell, VP for Mini in the U.S.

The BMW operation stateside is still run by Tom Purves, Chairman and CEO of BMW (US) Holding Corp., Chairman of BMW NA's Management Board, and Regional Manager for the Americas. (Crowded business card.) O’Donnell worked with BMW Group for 17 years, the past eight running the show in the U.K, and previously as sales and marketing director for BMW in South Afrida. He also worked for Ford.

A 30-year industry veteran, Howard Mosher had been Director of Worldwide Sales and Marketing for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars until 2005 when he moved to be BMW’s VP, Operations, in May 2005, which is also when Jack Pitney and Jim McDowell shifted positions, Pitney taking on McDowell’s position, VP of Marketing, BMW, and McDowell moving to Mini.

The executive moves come at a time of belt-tightening for BMW in the U.S. because of the strong euro and the soft U.S. economy. Purves (himself a former manager director of BMW UK) a year ago warned in a speech that companies selling cars in the U.S. could not ignore that many cars were sold thanks to the easy ability to tap into the equity in their houses. Some 200 employees were asked to resign or take early retirement. BMW also is looking to move more production to the US.

See BMW’s release below.

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