2019 Global CEO Excellence Awards

22 CEO MONTHLY / GLOBAL CEO EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2019 , Jun19025 Renowned for its quality cars and expert services, BMWGroup UK is led by industry expert Graeme Grieve, who is proud to explore his career and howhe came to drive this quality- focused company to success. Automotive CEO of the Year 2019 - UK With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls- Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises 31 production and assembly facilities in 15 countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries. In 2018, the BMW Group sold over 2,490,000 passenger vehicles and more than 165,000 motorcycles worldwide. Throughout its 100-year history, the BMW Group has always reinvented itself. As a pioneer of new technologies, the company has shaped change, within both the automotive industry and more recently in the world of individual mobility. The BMW Group is the only automobile and motorcycle manufacturer in the world to focus all of its brands on the premium segment and the company’s Strategy NUMBER ONE > NEXT sets out its path for the transformation of individual mobility. The group’s UK arm is led by CEO Graeme Grieve. Having graduated with a BSc in chemistry, Graeme started his career as an industrial chemist with ICI working in research and development. He then decided to move into the automotive sector starting his career with BMW as a regional manager before gaining experience in purchasing, aftersales and marketing. This experience helps him in his current role, and in his opening comments Graeme explains his role in more detail. “I am the CEO for BMW Group UK which is the sales, marketing and aftersales subsidiary of the BMW Group, the multi- national automotive company. Headquartered in Farnborough, Hampshire, and with a revenue of £5.57 billion in 2018, I am responsible for the entire business which imports BMW and MINI vehicles and BMW motorcycles into the UK and supplies them for sale through our independent retailer network. “All UK marketing, advertising and aftersales activities for those brands also fall within my remit. My main objective is to ensure the profitability of both the company and our retailers and I am proud to be working for such a dynamic company.” Leading a number of different teams, Graeme has developed over the years into a respected leader within the industry. He shares an insight into his leadership style and how this helps to bring out the best in his team members. “My management style is very much informed by my principles of honesty and trust. I spend quite a bit of my time mentoring less experienced members of staff, graduates and interns. Mistakes are part of our lives and we must embrace and learn from them, and this approach ensures that we are constantly improving and enhancing our knowledge. Everything can be improved, and sometimes small changes are more effective and faster to implement. Organisations also rely heavily on collaboration and this is something I encourage across all levels in the business.” Looking to the future, Graeme explores the future developments this innovative company is planning and how these will drive it to even greater success and international renown. “The motor industry is facing a period of dramatic change in customer behaviour and customer demands. Against a backdrop of economic uncertainty, we are seeing change in everything from the shape of the marketplace to the products we sell today, the way customers buy them and the way we reach those customers. We need to be agile and make sure our employees are empowered to deal with those changes. We are doing a lot of work around how we can best organise our business to deal with developments in customer purchasing behaviour and how to provide the best seamless customer experience. We are also creating an attractive range of digital services for our customers, and one of these options is the BMW Connected app, which already has more than one million users worldwide. This solution and others like it will help to cement the company as a key player in the automotive industry in an increasingly digital world. “With regards to my own role in the company’s future, I need to make sure we have a business that’s fit for the future. This is a massively exciting time and I know we have the team and the culture to embrace this period of significant change. This will be my ongoing focus in the years ahead.” Ultimately, under Graeme’s stewardship BMW Group UK has flourished, taking huge steps forward without losing sight of its heritage. The premium brand is now well-established as one of the UK’s leading automotive companies, and Graeme’s leadership will define its direction during one of the most pivotal periods in BMW Group’s history.