BMW Nabs Former Bugatti Veyron And Skoda Chief Designer Jozef Kaban

The BMW Group announced on Wednesday that 44-year-old Slovakian Jozef Kaban will replace Karim Habib as the BMW brand’s chief designer.

Kaban comes to BMW after holding various positions in the Volkswagen Group, including the head of Audi’s exterior design in 2006, before being promoted to chief designer at Skoda in early 2008, a position he held until today, overseeing the modernization of the Czech brand’s products.

A graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava, Slovakia, Kaban has been credited for penning the exterior design of two very diverse vehicles, the VW Group’s most expensive car before the Chiron, the original Bugatti Veyron EB16.4, and one of its most affordable, the VW Lupo and Seat Arosa twins.

The German company said that Karim Habib, who was responsible for BMW brand design since 2012, left the company “of his own accord” without explaining further. “We naturally respect Karim Habib’s decision and wish him every success in his new business endeavours,” commented BMW Group Chief Designer, Adrian van Hooydonk.

As part of BMW’s design division shake up, the company promoted 41-year old Domagoj Dukec to lead the BMW “M” and “i” sub-brands. Dukec has been with the BMW Group since 2010 having being responsible for the exterior design of the BMW brand and, most recently, BMW i design.

Both Kaban and Dukec will work under the direction of Adrian van Hooydonk. “I am looking forward to this strengthening of the BMW Group design team,” said van Hooydonk. “Both Jozef Kabaň and Domagoj Dukec bring the experience, talent and vision we need for the future direction of our design.”