Werner to take BMW reins in Australia

BMW Group Australia will have a new managing director from September 1 – Marc-Heinrich Werner – as Phil Horton returns to the UK, where he will become general manager of Motorrad for the UK and Ireland.

In a statement released this week, BMW AG said Mr Werner comes to the position with more than 17 years’ experience with the Munich-based luxury car manufacturer, having worked in a variety of sales, product and general management roles.

Most recently, he was area manager for BMW’s ‘B3’ region, which covers Japan, Russia, India and South Korea.

An Englishman, Mr Horton has been in the top job at Australia for the past three-and-a-half years, taking the reins in February 2011 and, after sales slipped 2.7 per cent that year, has overseen record sales growth of 5.2 per cent (to 18,413 units) and 11.5 per cent (to 20,522) in 2012 and 2013 respectively.

BMW’s sales are up a further 8.7 per cent so far this year.

Mr Horton started his automotive industry career with Ford of Britain in 1977, before joining BMW in 1995 as marketing director of BMW Great Britain.

He later moved to South Africa as sales and marketing director for BMW in that country before becoming managing director of BMW Middle East, overseeing company operations across 14 countries.

In Australia he replaced Stavros Yallouridis, who resigned unexpectedly in November 2010.