The Hyundai Motor Group shuffled their management as the company seeks to accelerate change and implement fresh, new ideas amidst weakening sales in the U.S. and China. All in all, 17 top executives were reassigned across the group including both Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corporation.

The move includes the promotion of several “outsiders” including a former BMW executive who will head their research and development. German Albert Biermann will now head Hyundai Motor Group’s R&D replacing longtime executives Yang Woong-chul and Kwon Moon-sik. Since joining Hyundai in 2015, Biermann has launched the high-performance N brand as well as accelerated improvements in Hyundai, Kia, and the Genesis brands.

His promotion comes hot on the heels of another former BMW executive, Thomas Schemera, rising to lead product planning for autonomous cars, connected and electrified vehicles and former Bentley design chief Luc Donckerwolke who now oversees design at both Hyundai and Kia.

Hyundai Motor Co chief innovation officer Youngcho Chi was promoted to president, as the automaker tries to catch up with its rivals in future technologies such as car-sharing.

The move is closely linked to the promotion of 48-year old Euisun Chung as Hyundai Motor’s executive vice chairman, moving him closer to succeeding his 80-year old father, Mong-Koo Chung, as group chairman.