Jose Carlos De Mier - @GPSmediaexperts

Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, People and Real Estate, Labour Relations Director

Speech at Club de Niños y Niñas.
Date: 29 October 2024, 1:30 p.m.

A very good afternoon to all of you.

When BMW sends out an invitation, it is usually all about horsepower, or driving dynamics, or drive technologies. But, today and tomorrow, you will get to know a different side of the BMW Group. We will share stories that may be quieter, but certainly no less emotional.

Because the transformation of our company doesn’t end when we switch a combustion engine for an electric drive train. It goes much deeper than that.

Companies today are no longer just measured by how they maximize profit, but by how much added value they contribute to society.

When I look at our society, there are many people who are resigned to the global problems we face. They block out unpleasant facts, saying “just let me look after myself, my family and my close circle of friends”. They create bubbles of perceived comfort around themselves – made up of people who look or think like them.

But this approach is precisely the opposite of what we need.

There is only one way to succeed. If we want to create a world where economic success goes hand in hand with ecological sustainability and social responsibility.

If we want to build a society where everyone has access to affordable education and a self-determined life. Then, we need to unite our efforts: We have to invite other people to join us. Build new teams. And work together.

This is what we do right here at Club de Niños y Niñas.

Señor Mier, Señor Rentería, Señora Meade, Señora Silva, you have made this place a home for 200 children. For children who do not have the same opportunities as many of us, whose parents do not have the capacity to care for them after school, or help them with their homework.

Together, we have managed to make this place a little more modern step by step.

In June, the new Science Lab opened with a special focus on engineering skills. It was set up by the NGO Pauta, which we recognized last year at our Intercultural Innovation Hub – a format through which we support grassroots organizations together with the United Nations.

This shows very well what we mean when we say: Our CSR engagement is more than just financial assistance.

We leverage our expertise and reliable networks to find the best solutions. Last year, your children gave me a self-made car.

It still stands at my home and reminds me every day, that there is a life beyond the stressful everyday life, that there are people out there whom we can help with little effort, and that responsible leadership must think and act beyond the boundaries of our company.

Our partnership with UNICEF is the second example of how we achieve this.

Señor Carrera Castro, Señora Hollander, I’m delighted to have you here with us today. Our two organisations have been working together in a spirit of trust for many years.

Last year we decided to strengthen our collaboration on long-term education projects like here in Mexico. Both of our organisations share the firm belief that education is the engine that drives development of our society.

That’s why we support UNICEF’s ambitious goal of helping ten million children and young people worldwide access excellent education.

We are emphasizing the most important future competencies – particularly in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Here in Mexico, 26,000 children will benefit from this programme until
2026.

Our first project in the state of San Luis Potosí is a secondary technical school in Villa de Reyes close by the plant. [Secondary Technical School No. 21]

Together with the educational authorities of the State of San Luis Potosí, we are training over 350 teachers in STEM instructional framework and analyzing gender biases in their classrooms.

I am convinced that together we can unlock the full potential of many children in the community, giving them a real chance in life. Even more importantly: We want every child to know “there is someone who cares about me”, “here are people who believe in me and my talents”, “there is a society where I belong.

In doing so, we want to show that we build more than just cars. We make individual mobility more human, more intelligent and more responsible – and create an inspiring future for all of us.

That is the impact of the BMW Group.

Thank you very much