Brilliance BMW Senior Vice President Daniel Kirchert may be leaving the joint venture soon, China Business News reported recently. The news, which has been reported by various outlets, has yet to be confirmed by Brilliance BMW's public relations department.
Dr. Kirchert (pictured) worked as project manager for BMW AG's Asia-Pacific and Africa department in 2003. It was at this time that Dr. Kirchert started working with the Chinese market. In April 2007 he joined Brilliance BMW after working for the German manufacturer in Beijing.
Dr. Kirchert's Chinese is very fluent, and he uses the language in several of his interviews with the media. Dr. Kirchert has been a key figure in the manufacturer's attempts to localize its products for the Chinese market. During his tenure, BMW's sales network in the country increased from around 60 dealerships to nearly 400 this year.
Only a month ago, BMW China President and CEO Christoph Stark announced his retirement. Earlier in 2012, Lu Yi, head of BMW China's import sales division, also left the company. If news of his retirement is true, Dr. Kirchert will be third senior executive in China to leave the manufacturer.
In its eight years active in China, BMW's sales have grown from just over 20,000 units to 326,440 last year. China is now BMW's largest market worldwide.
