Management Changes at BMW of North America and BMW Group Financial Services Americas

WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J., July 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the BMW Group announced two changes within its senior management team in North America effective September 1.

Wayne Orchowski, currently Vice President, Eastern Region, BMW of North America, will assume the role of Vice President, Operations North America and Chief Operating Officer, BMW Group Financial Services Americas. In his new role, Orchowski will have overall leadership responsibility for the BMW Group Financial Services Regional Service Center in Ohio, as well as continuing to deliver operational excellence to over 1,200 dealers and 900,000 lease and loan customers across the U.S. and Canada.   

Jack Pitney, currently Vice President, Marketing BMW Brand, BMW of North America, will succeed Orchowski as Vice President, Eastern Region.  In this new function, Pitney will assume the overall leadership role for all sales, marketing, aftersales and dealer development activities in the 12 state Northeast Region which encompasses 93 BMW and 24 MINI dealers and includes the New York metro area. With a sales volume of over 75,000 new vehicles a year, the Northeast is BMW of North America's largest region in the U.S. Pitney's successor as head of BMW Brand Marketing in the U.S. will be announced by September 1.

"At BMW, we encourage a consistent broadening of skills and experiences of our senior management," said Jim O'Donnell, President of BMW of North America, LLC. "Both Wayne and Jack have shown an outstanding performance in their functions and we thank them for their continuous excellent commitment to achievements, and at the same time look forward to even more accomplishment in the future."

Orchowski joined BMW of North America in 1985 and has worked as a Vice President in the Sales Department for over eleven years holding three different functions. During his current assignment as head of BMW of North America's Eastern Region, he diligently led the regional team through the last recession with the most resilient and consistent sales results in the company's four regions.

Pitney joined BMW of North America in 1995 and has led BMW brand marketing, product planning and strategy activities since 2005. Pitney has a track record of positive results for the company and just last April, BMW was recognized as the most valuable automotive brand by the market research firm Millward Brown.  In a first for the company, BMW of North America's marketing agency GSD&M was selected last year as BMW's lead creative agency worldwide. Pitney also successfully introduced new vehicles like the 1 Series and the X5d and 335d AdvancedDiesels to the U.S.  Previously Pitney spearheaded the introduction of the MINI brand to the U.S.

BMW Group In America

BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975.  Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003.  The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and the Rolls-Royce brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, a strategic design consultancy in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country.  BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of BMW Group's global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all X5 Sports Activity Vehicles and X6 Sports Activity Coupes.  The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 338 BMW passenger car centers, 336 BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 143 BMW motorcycle retailers, 98 MINI passenger car dealers, and 31 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers.  BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group's sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

Information about BMW Group products is available to consumers via the Internet at:

www.bmwgroupna.com

SOURCE BMW of North America, LLC