Woodcliff Lake, NJ – May 21, 2021…  BMW Financial Services NA, LLC today announced key appointments to its executive leadership team.  Stefan Richmann will become CEO for BMW Group Financial Services in the U.S. as well as the Americas region.  Richmann succeeds Ian Smith who has chosen to pursue opportunities outside the company.  Additionally, Stefan Kramer, current CFO, will be leaving to join BMW of North America to succeed Stefan Richmann, as executive vice president & CFO.  His successor will be announced at a later date.  All appointments take effect September 1, 2021.   
 
In his new position, Richmann will be responsible for leading business strategy and operations for BMW Group Financial Services in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina.  He will report directly to Thomas Wittig, the global head of BMW Group Financial Services. Smith will work on the transition with Richmann before leaving the company
 
“Ian is an accomplished Financial Services expert who has contributed significantly to the success of that division of the BMW Group in multiple international roles over the last 22 years. He has been an agent for change, fostered strong collaboration with the sales teams and been a driving force in the transformation to best prepare our business for the future. I have every respect for his decision and wish him the very best for his future.” said Thomas Wittig, global head of BMW Group Financial Services.  “I welcome Stefan Richmann to the Americas leadership role.   With his strong international business experience and background in the U.S. market at BMW of North America, I am confident he will further strengthen the collaboration between the sales and financial services companies in the region. On that foundation, he will continue to develop the business model and ensure that we continue to provide exceptional experiences for our customers that meet their individual needs.” 
 
A 24-year employee of the BMW Group, Richmann has extensive global business experience in various leadership positions with a financial focus both in Europe and the U.S.  He is currently the executive vice president & CFO for BMW of North America. 
 
Richmann began his career with BMW Group in 1997 in the central controlling division. He moved to corporate strategic planning in 2000 and was appointed head of sales controlling in 2004. Richmann left Munich in 2008 to assume the role of vice president and CFO for BMW Iberica in Madrid, Spain. He returned to Munich at the end of 2010, where he held several additional leadership roles within the finance division at BWM Group headquarters and in 2017, he moved to the United States for his current position.


 
BMW Financial Services NA, LLC
BMW Group Financial Services was established in the U.S. in 1992 to support the sales and marketing of BMW products. Since then, the Group has expanded to provide service to markets in multiple countries and continues to evolve beyond its role as a captive finance unit. BMW Group Financial Services offers a wide range of leasing, retail and commercial financing and banking products tailored to meet the needs of the BMW customer. The Group also provides financing to BMW dealers for expanding dealership capabilities and enhancing overall operations. With more than $45 billion in serviced assets and 1,300,000 automotive lending customers across the U.S., BMW Group Financial Services finances more than three-quarters of the BMWs sold or leased in North America. BMW Group Financial Services employs more than 1,000 people, including consultants and service providers, many of whom are located in the Hilliard, Ohio, which serves the U.S.A., Brazilian, Canadian and Mexican markets through its Regional Service Center. 
 
In 2001, the MINI Financial Services division was established to provide support for the brand’s dealers and its customers by offering financing and leasing options and branded financial services products.


 
BMW Group in the United States.
BMW of North America, LLC was established 50 years ago to support the sales, marketing and distribution of BMW automobiles in the U.S. BMW Motorrad was brought into the fold in 1980. In 1993 BMW Group Financial Services NA, LLC was founded, and one year later BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC began assembling vehicles in South Carolina. In 2002 and 2003, BMW Group established MINI USA, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC relaunching two iconic brands and rounding out its product portfolio.

Today, the BMW Group has a nationwide corporate footprint in the U.S. which consists of nearly 30 locations in 12 different states. Beyond the National Sales Company and Financial Services headquarters in Woodcliff Lake, NJ, its manufacturing plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and numerous other operational facilities, BMW Group in the U.S. also includes Designworks, a strategic design consultancy in Santa Monica, CA, BMW Group Technology Office USA, a technology research and development center in Silicon Valley, and BMW i Ventures, a venture capital fund, also in Silicon Valley.

BMW Group Plant Spartanburg is the largest single BMW production facility in the world, and the global center of competence for BMW Sports Activity Vehicles including the X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, and XM. The plant assembles more than 1,500 vehicles each day, and up to 450,000 annually. Since 1994, Plant Spartanburg has assembled nearly 7 million BMW vehicles in the U.S.

The BMW Group sales organization in the U.S. is represented through a network of 350 BMW retailers, 144 BMW motorcycle retailers, 105 MINI passenger car dealers, and 38 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. The company’s activities provide and support over 120,000 jobs across the U.S. and contribute more than 43.3 billion to the U.S. economy annually.

Journalist note: Information about BMW Group and its products in the USA is available to journalists on-line at www.bmwusanews.com www.miniusanews.com and www.press.bmwna.com