As of August 1st, Stefanie Wurst is stepping down as the head of MINI after serving in the role since February 2022. During her tenure, she successfully focused the brand on new markets and target groups, particularly emphasizing electric mobility and digitalization. She also played a key role in developing a sustainable and customer-focused international sales model and initiated direct sales for MINI in China and Europe. In a Linkedin post, Wurst reflects on her career at MINI and what it personally meant for her.
BMW Group Career
Her father was a BMW engineer, and her uncle was a racing driver, which fueled her interest for the automotive world from a young age. She initially built a career in advertising, becoming a partner at Scholz & Friends in Berlin, where she handled major accounts like Mercedes-Benz. Next, Wurst joined BMW in 2014 as head of marketing at BMW Germany. Before joining MINI, she was the Managing Director of BMW Netherlands, where she significantly boosted sales and spearheaded successful marketing campaigns.
In February 2022, Stefanie Wurst assumed leadership of MINI, where she dedicated her efforts to revitalizing the brand with new products and more importantly, electrifying the brand. During her tenure, MINI introduced the new MINI Family, featuring the Cooper, Countryman and Aceman models. The latter – which is an EV only product – will have its market debut this fall. Wurst also focused on electrifying the Oxford plant which will produce its first electric MINI after 2026.
Racing was another area that Wurst wanted MINI to focus on. Working with Bulldog Racing, MINI scored three podiums at the toughest endurance race of the world: the 24h of Nürburgring. This also gave a boost to the MINI John Cooper Works brand which will see a wide range of products launching this fall.
On the sales side of things, under her tenure MINI began implementing a direct-to-consumer (D2C) sales model. This strategic move aims at modernizing and optimizing their sales operations. This approach enables MINI to sell vehicles directly to buyers, cutting out the traditional dealership middlemen and offering a more customized and efficient purchasing experience.
What’s Next For MINI?
Of course, there is a lot more work to do at MINI and the company’s future was once all electric. Initially, MINI set an ambitious goal to transition completely to electric vehicles by 2030. But the shift in the market might change those plans so timeline for the complete phase-out of ICE models somewhat fluid. Stefan Richmann, a seasoned executive within the BMW Group, will take over from August 1, 2024. Richmann’s extensive experience in various managerial roles, including finance (CFO of BMW USA) and corporate strategy, positions him well to lead MINI into its next chapter.
