SHERIDAN, WYOMING – November 25, 2025 – As BMW of North America celebrates 50 years in the U.S., the most powerful part of its story isn’t just the cars or the campuses—it’s the people whose careers, passions, and everyday decisions keep the brand moving forward.
The People Who Turn a Brand into a “Family”
Ask former BMW of North America CEO Bernhard Kuhnt what associates contribute to the company’s success and his answer is instant: “Everything!” He describes BMW NA colleagues as “hugely diverse in the truest sense, and very professional, very motivated,” and remembers his time from 2017 to 2021 as a period when “the individual areas of the organization were all driven, and they all wanted to succeed.”
Current CEO Sebastian Mackensen frames it as a living history that new and longtime associates share. “History is memories and the story of people. It’s where you come from and where certain values are grounded and developed over time in a company, especially through the people who carry them forward. If you want to step into the BMW family, you need to see where your colleagues come from, who shaped them, and how they are today. Everybody has a history, and you are a product of yours.”
Behind the polished dealerships and high-performance test drives, there are associates who have spent decades solving problems, supporting customers, and reinventing their own careers inside the BMW universe.
From VPC to McLaren F1: A Lifetime Under the Hood
For Senior Product Engineer Tom DiGregorio, that universe started with a simple opportunity. Fresh out of Lincoln Technical Institute in New Jersey, he joined BMW NA in 1988 at the Jersey City Vehicle Preparation Center. At first he was installing CD players and telephones in 7 Series sedans; soon he was Shop Foreman, then Press Vehicle Technical Coordinator, preparing cars for media launches and keeping fleets running perfectly from day to night.
In the mid-1990s, BMW NA was contracted to service McLaren F1s powered by BMW’s V12. DiGregorio became one of a handful of technicians trained in England to work on those legendary supercars. Earlier this year, he helped replace a $25,000 windshield on BMW NA’s McLaren F1 GTR and joked, “It’s my favorite car to work on, but you’d better take care and be aware of your surroundings when you work on it!”
Now, as Senior Product Engineer in Aftersales, he writes service bulletins and recall communications and helps technicians deal with increasingly digital chassis systems. What hasn’t changed is the satisfaction of fixing things. “There’s always something new, and it’s always a challenge to work through a problem and bring resolution to the situation.”
Customer Stories, Tough Conversations, and Love Letters to BMW
While Tom tackles the technical side, Team Manager for Customer Communications & Quality Assurance, Eileen Paletta, lives on the human front line. She hears from customers after serious accidents who write simply to say thank you. “When customers have serious accidents in their vehicles, whether it’s a BMW, a MINI, or even a motorcycle, some write to thank us for saving their lives,” she says.
Her team also fields complaints in an era when feedback is faster and sometimes sharper than a handwritten letter. “Customers don’t want lengthy correspondence. They want the information right away, in quick little chats, but it has to be just as meaningful,” she explains. Speaking in the right tone—even when things get tense—has become part of the brand experience.
And like many associates, she’s still a fan at heart. “I’ll take different routes to work just to feel the curves,” she admits, remembering timed laps in an M3 and long, scenic drives home in her 430i Convertible along the Hudson River and over the mountains.
From Receptionist to Regulatory Engineer: Reinventing Yourself Inside BMW
Not every career path at BMW NA is linear. Senior Engineer for Vehicle Regulatory Standards, Carolyn Capozzalo, started as a receptionist for an office services supplier in 2002. She volunteered for more complex tasks, moved into desktop publishing for dealer bulletins, learned unpopular new purchasing software (“I said, ‘Hey, I’ll figure it out!’”), and cycled through roles in Purchasing, Customer Relations, and dealer service.
Eventually she found her way into BMW’s Parts Technical Hotline and then Warranty, learning to read wiring diagrams and technical data. Today, she monitors non-safety, non-emissions regulations—especially chemical rules affecting everything from fluids to PFAS in gaskets and upholstery. “I like a challenge,” she says. “Any chance I can, I’ll look to learn.”
Her story reflects a broader culture where managers often invite associates to stretch: “So many of my managers have been very supportive, very nurturing, and very caring. That’s the greatest thing for me in a manager, to say, ‘Hey would you be interested in learning a different aspect of this?’”
Money, Loyalty, and EV Readiness in Columbus
In Columbus, Ohio, BMW Financial Services is where most customers interact personally with the brand. Lease Loyalty Team Manager Erin Walter started in 2015 as a temporary call center associate. With an English literature background and a love for BMW, she worked her way into refinancing, helped manage an outsourcing transition, then took on leadership in Customer Service just as COVID hit.
She remembers ordering laptops and setting up remote work as a brand-new supervisor—“definitely a trial by fire!” Now she leads a lease loyalty team, collaborates with dealers, and works on projects including EV readiness ahead of a surge in electric vehicles coming off lease. “I’ve drunk the Kool-Aid, and I couldn’t imagine working anywhere else,” she says, proud to be part of a strong female leadership culture.
Next-Gen Talent, Data—and a Little Help from AI
For Market Research Analyst Ali Abubakar, BMW NA is the place where a childhood passion for cars meets next-gen data tools. A former intern who once juggled jobs at Autozone and a Toyota dealership, he joined BMW fresh out of Rutgers to handle regional sales reporting.
“No one used ChatGPT here before me, and I use ChatGPT for everything,” he laughs, explaining how he learned advanced Excel and adapted dashboards as BMW moved from Cognos to Tableau. Now, in a new role in Product Management, he’s planning surveys and running analyses in Python and SQL to help decide what features actually make it into future BMWs.
3 Career Lessons from BMW NA Associates
- Say yes to learning. From reception desks to engineering roles, curiosity opens surprising doors.
- Mentors matter. Many associates credit managers who nudged them forward, taught them, and backed their growth.
- Passion shows. Whether you’re replacing a McLaren windshield or answering a customer chat, loving the product and the people shines through.
Across all their stories, one theme stands out: the cars may bring people to BMW, but it’s the culture of growth, mentorship, and shared passion that convinces them to stay.
Learn more about BMW in the United States and explore current models and services at https://www.bmwusa.com.