BMW Boss Oliver Zipse Bags World Car Person of the Year Title

Oliver Zipse, chairman of the board of management at BMW AG, has been named 2026 World Car Person of the Year by the World Car Awards jury. The honour recognises his role in shaping BMW’s global strategy and product direction during 2025 and the wider period of his tenure as chief executive. The announcement came during the World Car Finals powered by Brembo in Toronto, Canada, as part of the run-up to the New York International Auto Show. 

Zipse has led BMW since August 2019 and has spent his entire career at the company after joining in 1991. Before taking the top role, he handled production, development and strategy responsibilities, including heading BMW production and serving as managing director of the Oxford plant in the UK. In 2025, his focus stayed on the Neue Klasse project, which the company describes as its biggest programme, covering new electric vehicles, digital platforms and manufacturing systems that will roll out from the middle of this decade. 

The World Car Awards jury of 98 automotive journalists from 33 countries votes each year for the person who, in its view, made the most significant contribution to the global car industry in the previous calendar year. Zipse’s work in 2025 on the Neue Klasse programme and on BMW’s “technology-open” path for powertrains, which keeps internal combustion, hybrid and electric models in the portfolio, was a key factor in the decision. This strategy allowed BMW to respond to different market conditions and regulations, supporting sales in regions where charging networks are still growing while also growing volumes of electric models. 

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Under Zipse, BMW continued to push electrification and digitalisation through 2025 while keeping a close eye on profitability and brand positioning. The company linked sales performance to a wider mix of cars and SUVs across combustion, plug-in hybrid and battery-electric lines, backed by the first pre-production steps for Neue Klasse models. These efforts helped BMW defend its place among the leading global premium car makers in 2025 and strengthened its case in markets that compare German luxury brands on sales numbers and electric offerings. 

In his acceptance statement, Zipse said the award was not only about his time as BMW chief executive but also about the company’s strategic course and the work of all employees on the Neue Klasse project.