The long-time BMW Group designer has traded Munich for Goodwood 

Martina Starke has moved to a new division of the BMW Group, extending her time with an organisation she first joined back in 2001. Previously head of Designworks’ Munich studio, Starke’s new role will be in Goodwood, UK as general manager of Bespoke Design at Rolls-Royce.

Starke brings significant experience in the field of colour and materials and will surely find her time as head of CMF for BMW Individual Design – the bespoke finishing arm of BMW – particularly useful in her new gig. She may also bring a different perspective to the team from her nearly five-year stint as studio director for Designworks Munich, and has been described by BMW management as a “multilateral thinker.”

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From left: Oliver Heilmer (now with MINI), Martina Starke, Karim Habib (Kia) and Domagoj Dukec in 2013

She will reunite with a familiar face in Rolls-Royce design director Anders Warming, who she has worked with in the past during her time with BMW. 

“Martina has for many years been working directly with the topics of luxury and its future potential, and with this tremendous bandwidth of experience, she not only understands the world of design in meticulous detail, but equally possesses a deep passion and understanding for luxury, the importance of branding and high-touch client interaction,” Warming said in a statement. “The entire team is very much looking forward to welcoming Martina.”

Starke is clearly a popular hire and brings a track record of working well within larger design teams. As a BMW Group press release noted in 2012: “Her positive, level-headed manner and ability to bring different viewpoints to the table are highly appreciated by her staff. She is always at pains to look at things from different angles, making her the archetypal open-minded team player.”

Starke is credited with leading the CMF design on numerous prominent production and concept cars, including the 2016 Vision Next 100 concept and 2017 BMW Concept 8 Series.