On February 25th, the board of BMW Brilliance announced that starting April 1st, 2022, Dr. Franz Decker, senior vice president of technology & manufacturing, will assume the position of president and CEO of BMW Brilliance after Dr. Johann Wieland.

Dr. Franz Decker; photo credit: BMW Brilliance

Starting the same day, Robert Kuessel, the automaker’s Dadong factory manager will take on as senior vice president of technology & manufacturing. Dr. Johann Wieland will return to Germany after his term ends.

Dr. Franz Decker has been a member of BMW Group for 18 years and joined its Chinese joint venture, BMW Brilliance, in September 2016. In January 2020, Dr. Franz Decker was promoted to his current position, senior vice president of technology & manufacturing.

Robert Kuessel, on the other hand, joined BMW Group in 2000, accumulating rich experience in the manufacturing, planning, and management fields in Germany, China, and the US.

BMW Brilliance acknowledges Dr. Johann Wieland’s work as president and CEO. During the five and half years, Dr. Johann Wieland helped the company to double its production volume and performance records. Under his leadership, BMW Brilliance significantly expanded its Shenyang manufacturing base, creating over 6,500 new jobs, leading to BMW Group’s annual sales hitting a record high in 2021.

In 2021, BMW Group delivered a total of 846,200 vehicles in China, including BMW and MINI models, up 8.9% year on year.