Karim Habib takes over as Head of BMW Design

The Lebanese-born Canadian designer, Karim Habib has been appointed as the new head of BMW Design, replacing Adrain Van Hooydonk - now the VP of Design. Karim Habib will take on his new responsibilities with effect from 1 June 2012 and will report to Hooydonk.

The 42-year old Habib joined BMW Group Design in 1998 and has worked on the CS concept as well as the most controversial 7-Series of all-time with Chris Bangle. Habib joined BMW back in 1998 and worked with the automaker for ten years. In 2008, Habib jumped on to BMW's rival company, Mercedes Benz for a two-year stint before retuning to Munich in 2010.

In a statement, Habib said, "I feel very honored and I look forward to this new challenge. Now I have the opportunity of working together with a great team to shape the future face of the BMW brand."

“Karim Habib is an outstanding designer who has had a significant impact on the design of the BMW brand over many years,” said Hooydonk. “His longstanding experience and subtle instinct for timely elegance and dynamics are the ideal prerequisites for this demanding task. I look forward very much to his support and collaboration,” he added.