CEO PROFILE

Life’s Journeys

Matt Eaton meets Jacob Dimech, CEO of BMW Financial Services Hong Kong. Photography by Simon J Nicol.

Jacob Dimech at the BMW Wan Chai Showroom

Speak to Jacob Dimech for any length of time and you get a sense of how much he loves a challenge, not to mention an adventure.

The father of three has spent the better part of the last decade travelling the world with his young family, heading up some exciting business ventures with BMW and learning first hand what it takes to lead a team in unique work cultures.

But it was back in 1999 when the travel bug first took hold.

Dimech had a secure job with BMW and life in Melbourne was good, but something bigger was calling.

“I left a perfectly good job,” he says with nostalgia. I was on the career path. But there was something really deep inside me saying ‘come on, step outside your comfort zone’.

“My resignation to my boss was a one way ticket to Berlin.”

Looking back, it’s something that was very of its time - the early days of the internet, pre-social media, a bit of cash and a one way ticket - the perfect storm for someone itching for adventure.

His journey started in Germany, a place he would circle back to many years later.

“I’ll never forget my first night, finding my way to the hostel, closing the door and sitting on my bed thinking, what the hell am I doing?

“But then you smack yourself in the face and straighten up and say, okay, let’s explore.”

After 12 months of backpacking around Europe, Dimech forged a path to London - something travelling Australians will be familiar with. It was here he decided to hunker down, rebuild his savings and explore the region in style.

Weekend trips to Rome and France were made that much easier after he landed a role with online booking site lastminute.com.

“That was my first taste of online commerce, they had the market wrapped up. All of a sudden people were like yeah I want to go away on a Friday night. We were making that possible.”

Six months into his London stay he met a girl, a fellow Australian, and things quickly got serious.

“A holiday romance was fast becoming a life commitment,” he says. “It’s amazing how you go overseas only to meet another Australian.”

But life in London had its limits. “London was always a period in our life, it was a chapter. It wasn’t the end game.”

When this chapter did finally come to an end, the travel bug once again took hold. This time, however, it was to be a true test of their relationship.

“We said let’s go to India and really try to stuff this up. If we survive India as a couple, then we can survive anything.” And survive they did.

“We found out a lot about each other. Leanne certainly found out who I was. We really felt like India made us.”

They eventually headed back to Australia and Dimech back to BMW, but something was not quite right.

“They knew that I needed money and a job and they called me back, but I lasted one year at BMW. I didn’t fit in, it didn’t feel right. Even though it was an easy option, it wasn’t the right option and BMW understood that.”

So once again he parted ways with the auto

industry for a stint in pharmaceuticals.

“I need to learn something different. I needed to grow as a person as well and get out of that comfort zone because it just felt too easy. I did three years in pharmaceuticals, but I always kept in touch with BMW.”

Maintaining that relationship with BMW has been a consistent factor throughout his career. It’s also a big part of how Dimech and his family have travelled the globe. After three years in the pharmaceutical industry, a call from his former employer came once more with an offer to run a client retention programme with dealerships across Australia. One he quickly accepted.

“During this time I really grew as an individual. There were a lot of people I had to engage with. I wasn’t their boss, I wasn’t their manager, but this programme had impact Australia wide.”

The program hit a pulse with BMW and allowed him to expand the learnings internationally, which took him and his then two kids to Munich.

“That was a big move because we were definitely in a comfort zone. I mean, how great is my wife, because she had a career too and was willing to put everything on hold and leave.

“I got the best of both worlds in Munich, working with all these different countries and cultures from Korea to Thailand, China, New Zealand and Japan.

“Discovering local cultures, work culture and picking the right people to steer various projects. It was a huge challenge.”

After what he described as a “fairytale” four yeas in Munich, an opportunity to head up sales and marketing with BMW Malaysia came and again, the opportunity for new challenges was there.

“Munich was a special period of my life and I think the four years we spent there were probably the closest I’ve been with Leanne and the girls.

“We were really happy, but we also thought we could do more. So we decided to take that next step, go to Malaysia and experience a completely different world.”

Similar to moving to Munich, the priority in Malaysia was to settle in and become part of the international community. That meant finding the right school, being part of the community and making sure that life outside of work was on track.

“That’s the key to success. The primary focus was getting the girls in the right school, making sure our living situation was right. If you don’t get those two things right, then your work becomes much harder.”

After several years in Malaysia, an opportunity to run the business in Hong Kong came about - an opportunity he said was too good to turn down.

“We couldn’t refuse. Even though the kids were really happy, Leanne was very comfortable in her life in Malaysia. Hong Kong was still a no-brainer.”

The decision to move once again was made that much easier after a discovery trip to find a school and a place to live. Enter Sai Kung and Hong Kong Academy.

“Sai Kung had a proper community feel about it, not to mention the mountains, the hiking and the stunning beaches.

“We also wanted something a bit different for our girls and Hong Kong Academy ticked all the boxes. Their diversity, the way they teach - learning via a focus on the journey of problem solving - having a purpose, that really attracted us. It’s more than just academic performance.”

After Hong Kong Academy accepted all three of his kids, the decision was made.

“Everything just fell into place and we found a beautiful home in Silverstrand.”

Living in Sai Kung has allowed him to dive deeper into the local community, even joining his girl’s netball coaching team with Sai Kung Stingrays. It has also seen him embrace hiking with enthusiasm, especially with his dog Banjo.

With school and home life settled, it has allowed work to flourish and bring together all of his years of experience with people and culture.

People and culture are the core of BMW’s principles

And Hong Kong, he says, is ripe for growth.

“Hong Kong is full of potential, there’s so much untapped talent here,” he says.

“The more we can tap into that and unlock potential, I think that can have a really positive impact on Hong Kong communities and families. Seeing our brand grow locally, particularly drawing in new customers through BMW’s financing products, have been rewarding. For many people buying a BMW is a huge moment in their life.

“We can get customers into a 1 Series for as low as $2,388 or an X5, my favourite model, for $8,888 a month. I don’t think people realise that.”

He says new financing products, like BMW CIRCLE allow people to become part of the BMW family from the start of their car ownership cycle.

“People are realising the freedom it gives you. You can pay out your contract, you can go back to the dealer and trade up later on. We can extend the loan, even lower the payments. There’s this freedom of choice to do what you want.”

But it’s the big question we leave for last, namely how deep is his love for all things automotive? The answer may come as a surprise.

“Hopefully this doesn’t get me into trouble, but I wouldn’t say I’m a guy that wants to get into a car and drive 100 meters in three seconds,” he admits.

“For a lot of people it’s all about the motor and torque. But my torque is about being around a great brand that has purpose. Being in a market that wants growth and growing people, that’s my passion.

“That’s where my enthusiasm is and that’s what I want in Hong Kong.”