Leadership Moves
BMW shifts leadership as Mexico plant enters new phase
Klaus von Moltke moves from Steyr to lead BMW’s San Luis Potosí plant, signalling a new phase in the site’s global role. The transition follows major progress in Steyr’s electric drive and hydrogen programmes and marks Harald Gottsche’s return to Austria as plant director.
BMW has reshuffled its manufacturing leadership as Klaus von Moltke prepares to take over as director of the San Luis Potosí plant in Mexico. The move, effective from the start of January, closes what he calls an “emotional and formative” chapter at the group’s powertrain facility in Steyr, Austria, and returns Harald Gottsche to his home market after leading the Mexican operation through rapid expansion.
Von Moltke’s message, published on LinkedIn, paints Steyr as a site transformed by technology ambition. “The past few years have been marked by great progress” he wrote. “We have played a key role in driving forward the transformation of the site, successfully putting the sixth-generation electric drives into series production and bringing another major project to Steyr with the fuel cell system for the first hydrogen-powered production vehicle.” In his view the plant has “become a symbol of courage, innovative strength and openness to technology” in a company facing simultaneous propulsion strategies.
He stressed the importance of collaboration during his tenure. “The cooperation with the people at the BMW Group Steyr plant was particularly valuable for me. I would like to thank the management team, but also all the other employees at the site, who have always been very committed.” He also highlighted cross-functional work with BMW Sales in Salzburg and the Vienna branch, singling out Alexander Bamberger. “Trusting and close cooperation was and is a lived reality here” he said, “always in the sense of ‘Good for Austria’.”
Gratitude extended beyond corporate boundaries. “The exchange with partners from politics, from the federal to the state level, the city of Steyr and partners from business was also always enriching” he wrote, characterising those relationships as “constructive, at eye level and with a view to the future.”
Steyr’s transition and the road ahead
Responses from colleagues underscore the importance of the move. Christian Marxt, spokesperson and press secretary at BMW Group, praised the collaboration within the powertrain production network. “Congratulations on this exciting new task, Klaus von Moltke” he wrote. “And thank you very much for the inspiring cooperation in the drive production network.” Marxt added that he was “sure that you will also set new impulses” in Mexico.
Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, Energy and Tourism in Upper Austria, also emphasised the strategic impact of von Moltke’s work. “I would like to thank you for your dedicated commitment to the Steyr location and for the always trusting cooperation” he noted. He credited von Moltke with accelerating electrification at the site. “In a decisive transformation phase, you drove forward the expansion of e-mobility and brought hydrogen fuel cell technology to Steyr” he said, calling it “a significant contribution to the future viability of the location.”
This shift returns attention to Gottsche, who is set to take over Steyr’s plant management. Von Moltke called the change a continuation rather than a rupture. “From 1 January, Harald Gottsche will take over the plant management and will continue on the path he has taken with fresh impetus.”
San Luis Potosí’s rising global role
The move comes at a moment when BMW’s San Luis Potosí plant is at the centre of both the company’s operating momentum and its decarbonisation strategy. Just last year, AMS reported how the facility has positioned itself as one of the group’s most modern manufacturing assets, despite its geographical positioning.
The site integrates renewable power through large-scale solar installations, runs a near-closed water recycling system, and uses artificial intelligence to track and reduce operational carbon output. BMW’s local leadership described the plant as a proving ground for replicable sustainability tools across its wider network.
San Luis Potosí has also become more prominent in the company’s global production footprint as Neue Klasse manufacturing lines are prepared across regions. Local suppliers and logistics partners have expanded capacity to support BMW’s plans, and state governments have tied infrastructure improvements to the plant’s long-term presence. Von Moltke steps into this landscape at a time when demand volatility, cross-border trade conditions and electrified module sourcing are reshaping manufacturing decisions throughout North America.
Continuity with a shift in emphasis
Gottsche’s return to Austria highlights Steyr’s continued importance to BMW as a hub for powertrain innovation. When AMS interviewed him during a period of intense operational ramp-up, the Mexican plant’s early years were aptly described as a “baptism of fire”, marked by the challenge of scaling production while simultaneously absorbing new product lines. His tenure subsequently oversaw stability, growth and technology integration as San Luis Potosí became a global reference point for efficiency and sustainability.
Now, both plants enter a new chapter. Steyr continues its shift from a pure internal combustion engine base toward a multi-propulsion strategy, while Mexico consolidates its role as a flexible, export-oriented assembly location within a complex policy environment. The leadership changes tie these narratives together, signalling a deliberate rotation of experience within BMW’s global manufacturing system.
The reshuffle shows the OEM’s preference for continuity, mobility and cross-regional experience as it navigates the most layered transformation in its production history. Von Moltke leaves Austria “with great gratitude for the progress and experiences we have achieved together.” The next set of experiences, in Mexico, will unfold at a plant increasingly linked to BMW’s ambitions for both assembly excellence and a broader technological and sustainability identity.
