Dr. Kay Segler
MINI may soon get a kick in the performance department with news emerging today that the boss of BMW M, Dr. Kay Segler, will be responsible for MINI brand management starting from May 1.
Segler, 56, has overlooked the development of several key M division models including the recently revealed 1-Series M Coupe and the upcoming M5, and now his talents can be applied in developing the brand’s more affordable models.
Segler has been with BMW since 1988, mainly in management functions within the sales and marketing division, and his latest appointment as boss of MINI is no great shock. He previously managed the brand between 2004 and 2008, some of its greatest years in terms of growth, so it looks like MINI is in relatively safe hands.
Filling in as BMW M’s new boss, meanwhile, will be 56-year old Dr. Friedrich Nitschke who will take over as managing director of BMW’s go-fast division on May 1 as well. Nitschke was previously responsible for the MINI brand within the development division, and has held various management positions in the controlling and development divisions since joining BMW back in 1978.
