BMW’s New CEO to Staff: Think Positively

Oliver Zipse, who replaced Harald Krueger as CEO at BMW AG this week, is urging staffers to think ahead about how to outsell rival Daimler AG and its Mercedes-Benz brand, Reuters reports.

Zipse, who succeeded Harald Krueger this week, asks employees in an internal memo not to blame current conditions, political issues or particular individuals for BMW’s performance. He advocates a “positive spirit” that underscores BMW’s culture of innovation.

“We don’t always have to be first,” Zipse adds. “But we most certainly have to be far better than our competitors in everything we do.” He notes that the philosophy applies well beyond BMW products to include processes, costs and operational structure.

Zipse says BMW already is gaining ground on Mercedes. He predicts scheduled new models will accelerate the improvement.