A jury of 98 distinguished international automotive journalists from 33 countries has named Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management, BMW AG, as the winner of the 2026 World Car person of the year title.
He beat other strong contenders, namely David Craig, staff product manager at General Motors and Tisha Johnson, Head of Design, Slate.
Votes for contenders are based on who had made the most significant contribution to the global automotive industry during the previous calendar year.
Zipse, who joined the company in 1991, has led BMW AG as Chairman of the Board of Management since August 2019, guiding one of the world’s most respected premium automotive groups through a period of profound technological and strategic transformation, according to the jury.
He spent his entire professional career within the company, and his tenure at the top will shortly be drawing to a close, but he will leave having overseen the launch of the BMW Neue Klasse range of vehicles, marking the biggest technical transformation of the brand in its history.
Under his leadership, BMW has pursued a technology-open approach to electrification, digitalisation and sustainability, while maintaining a strong focus on brand identity and profitability, added the voting committee.
“I am honoured to be named World Car Person of the Year 2026. To me, this is much more than just an award for my tenure as BMW’s CEO: it is a recognition of our strategic course and the courage we have shown to pursue the company’s biggest project ever, the Neue Klasse,” said the chairman.
“And, most importantly, it is an award for all BMW employees. Therefore, I would like to thank all our associates: for their dedication, their passion, and their pioneering spirit. The Neue Klasse is a prime example of the remarkable achievements that can be made possible by this collective effort.”
Jens Meiners, World Car Awards chair emeritus, said, “Oliver Zipse’s strategy of ‘technology openness’ and of pursuing excellence with all kinds of powertrains has been fully validated by the market. The current BMW Group product line-up is just about the best it has ever been, and BMW continues to be the brand that other carmakers look up to. Much of that is down to Oliver Zipse’s leadership, and therefore we are delighted to announce him as the 2026 World Car Person of the Year.”
Previous World Car Person of the Year recipients include:
- Stella Li, Executive Vice-President of BYD (2025)
- Adrian Newey, then CTO of Red Bull Racing (2024);
- SangYup Lee, Executive Vice President, Head of Hyundai and Genesis Global Design Center (2023);
- Luc Donckerwolke, Executive Vice President for Design and Chief Creative Officer, Hyundai Motor Group (2022)
- Akio Toyoda, President and CEO, Toyota Motor Corporation (2021)
- Carlos Tavares, CEO of PSA Group (2020);
- Sergio Marchionne, CEO, FCA; Chairman, CNH Industrial; and Chairman and CEO, Ferrari (2019)
- Håkan Samuelsson, President and CEO, Volvo Car Group (2018)
Business Day
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