WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J. -

BMW of North America will have a new president beginning Oct. 1 to fill the shoes of Jim O’Donnell when he retires.

Appointed to the position is Ludwig Willisch, who at the moment heads up BMW Group’s European sales region. O’Donnell, meanwhile, has served in the North American president’s post since 2008. BMW says it will announce Willisch’s replacement in Europe at a future date.

Willisch’s first stop at BMW was in 1996 when he became manager of the automaker’s Dusseldorf, Germany branch.

He would go on to serve as the head of the local sales subsidiaries in Germany, Japan and Sweden, before his post as president of BMW M GmbH, a subsidiary of the automaker.

“I would like to thank Jim O’Donnell for his tireless commitment during his successful career. I would also like to wish Ludwig Willisch every success,” stated Ian Robertson, a member of the automaker’s board of management responsible for sales and marketing.

“With his many years of solid experience in the automobile business, I am confident that he will maintain our successful course in the U.S. in the future,” Robertson added.