Bangkok--Sep 19--Image Impact BMW Group Headquarter in Munich has appointed Mr. Karsten Engel, the President of BMW Group Thailand, to become the Managing Director of BMW Group's largest retail subsidiary in the world, the 'BMW Group Branch Munich' effective 1st December 2002. Mr. Engel will succeed Mr. Herbert Bauderer who will retire. With the largest retail subsidiary of the BMW Group in Germany, Mr. Engel will be responsible for 1,300 employees working in 10 different locations around Munich area. In 2001, this retail subsidiary sold10,300 units new cars, 7,800 units of used cars and 850 motorcycles. The operations turnover in 2001 exceeded one billion German Marks (589 million ?). During his time as the president of BMW Group Thailand, sales of BMW Thailand almost doubled to more than 4,000 cars this year. Mr. Engel has focused on constant improvement of customer satisfaction, including the introduction of a new structure of excellent dealers both in Bangkok and upcountry. Another focus was the establishment of BMW Group's Rayong plant as the 'Munich of Asia'. Mr. Engel has been directly involved in the expansion of the BMW Rayong plant for the assembly of the new 7Series both for the Thai market and for export under the AFTA agreement mid 2003. Mr. Karsten Engel joined BMW AG in 1985 and assumed different functions starting from controlling, followed by 5 years as the director of the BMW Motorsports division. In 1994, he was appointed to be the Area Manager for BMW Asia, the regional office of BMW in Singapore. He became the president of 'BMW Korea' in 1997, then the President of 'BMW Group Thailand' and 'BMW Manufacturing Thailand' in August 2000. Dr. Frank Roesler, General Manager, Head of Regional Marketing in Asia Pacific, Africa, and Eastern Europe has been named as Mr. Engel's successor as the president of BMW Group Thailand effective 1st December 2002 onwards. For further information please contact: Dr. Wit Sittivaekin Corporate Communications Director BMW (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Tel : 0-2654-3100 Fax : 0-2654-3115 Website : www.bmw.co.th End.-NM-