Jan 14, 2020
In this episode of the Autofocus Podcast, we are with Dr. Hamid Haqparwar who is the Managing Director of BMW Group, Middle East.
Dr Hamid's colourful career is a true testament to his
'blue-blood' claim.
Having started as an intern, in Germany, at BMW Headquarters, Dr.
Hamid spent a year with BMW, pre-graduation, before taking on his
first role as a Market Development Manager in 2006.
In 2008 Dr. Hamid spent just under 4 years in the Middle East, in
Sales, as the Area Manager and the Head of Product Management in
the region. His career continued to lead him around the globe as he
became Director Sales and Director Sales Channel Development for
BMW India, prior to returning to the region and taking on in his
current role as MD.
In this episode, we get straight into Dr. Hamid's sage advice for those who wish to enter and those who are currently in the automotive industry. He shares his formula for sucsess and taking risks for career progression.
We move on to the evolution of BMW; having climbed up the brand's hierarchy for almost over a decade and a half, Dr. Hamid is suitably placed to discuss what the next decade for BMW will look like in comparison. From creating the first full-electric premium car to their adaptive approach to the workforce, he speaks on how the extensive achievements of the brand in the past 10 years are an indication of what BMW has planned next. Later in the episode, we go on to touch on what the future may look like for the dealer/importer network and consumers in the region.
Dr. Hamid goes on to share with us the rigorous process of designing cars that are years ahead of their time; from design to 3D rendering & clay modelling, faced with the challenge of future-proofing designs, he explains the process of designing a BMW that is of the standard consumers have come to expect.
Of course, we speak on autonomous driving as a part of our
winder conversation on CASE/ACES. Dr. Hamid shares with us BWM's
answer to these 'mega-trends' and how the two dominant mobility
trends are being, and have been, addressed.
Moving on, we discuss BMW's partnerships with other OEMs. Dr. Hamid
explains how BMW's joint R&D with OEMs such as Daimler and JLR
are essential in the disruptive & fast-paced world we are currently
in.
Finally, Dr. Hamid shares his excitement around the overhaul of
the upper-end of BMW's portfolio, his admiration for the
tech-savviness of consumers in the region and which car from the
line-up he's looking forward to driving next.
We end on some closing words of advice from Dr. Hamid for those
looking to join brands like BMW.
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