Thomas Becker, Ph.D.

As of May 2025, Dr. Thomas Becker is head of External Affairs and Sustainability at the BMW Group, combining the previous two departments which he has built up over the last 18 years.

Dr. Becker was Vice President for Sustainability, Mobility at the BMW Group in Munich from October 2019 to April 2025. In this role he supervised the integration of the sustainability dimension into the corporate strategy, including defining the implementation of the objectives of the Paris Climate Agreement at the corporate level, the Group’s strategic approach to circular economy, and the role of individual mobility in the urban environment.

Prior to that, Dr. Becker was Vice President of Government and External Affairs from 2007 to September 2019. During his time in the area of Government and External Affairs, he supervised the worldwide representation of the BMW Group’s political interests, the company’s approach to integrating political topics into the product, as well as business communications and the steering of the sustainability communication of the company.

Dr. Becker started his career as an expert in the department of environmental policy at the Association of the German Industry (BDI) in Berlin. He later held several leadership positions at the Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) in Frankfurt. Before his current role with the BMW Group, Dr. Becker worked as Deputy Managing Director at VDA, where he was responsible for the association’s co-management.

Dr. Becker received his PhD degree (Dr. rer. pol.) with Professor Dr. Ekkehard Kappler at the Reinhard-Mohn Foundation Chair for Management, Economics, and Social Evolution at the University of Witten / Herdecke with magna cum laude. He also holds a diploma in economics from the University of Cologne.