Gerald Krainer

Background

About Gerald Krainer

I’m someone who thrives on shaping the future and bringing visionary ideas to life through strategic action. I’m driven by a deep desire to contribute meaningfully, always learning, optimizing, and aligning people and systems to create lasting impact. Whether leading change or solving complex challenges, I bring energy, clarity, and follow-through to everything I do. As a global executive with 20+ years of international experience in the automotive industry, I've led strategic, operational, and commercial initiatives across Europe, China, and the U.S- in both established OEMs and innovative start-ups. My expertise spans strategy, sales & marketing, business development, and digital transformation, with a strong focus on sustainable mobility (NEV). I’m driven by creating meaningful value for customers, seeing opportunities where others see challenges. With leadership roles at BMW, NIO, BYTON, and Great Wall Motors, I bring a track record of leading diverse teams with entrepreneurial spirit, strategic clarity, and a commitment to impactful results. Among others some of my career highlights worth mentioning are- Leading the successful market entry of NIO in Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands, culminating in a high-impact launch event in Berlin- Driving the rollout of BMW’s first electric vehicle, the BMW i3, across Poland, Czech Republic, Greece, and Austria- Spearheading BYTON’s AI-powered in-car experience in partnership with Amazon, unveiled at CES in Las Vegas- Initiating and delivering an AR-based vehicle configurator for smartphones, leveraging Google technology for BMW- Launching the industry’s first global automotive social media game, the BMW xDrive Challenge.