Knudt Flor

Knudt Flor is senior vice president for Innovation and Industry Engagement and distinguished professor of Industry Practice. In 2022, he retired after 33 years’ experience within the BMW Group Global Production Network including five years as president and CEO at BMW Group Plant Spartanburg in South Carolina. He was the second-longest serving president of the Spartanburg plant.

Flor began his career with BMW in 1988 at the Engine Plant in Munich as an engineer of production. He then served in several roles in Quality Assurance and Quality Management. From 1996-2000, he worked at the Spartanburg plant managing quality assurance of Car Assembly and Purchased Parts. He has also served as vice president of Production at BMW Plant Munich, director of BMW Plant Rosslyn in South Africa, and senior vice president of Manufacturing at BMW Brilliance Automotive Joint Venture in Shenyang, China. Most recently, Flor served as senior vice president of Corporate Quality for the BMW Group.

Flor is the founding director of South Carolina Fraunhofer USA Alliance. He serves on the Advisory Board for the NC Zeitgeist Foundation, as chairman of the board of directors for Autos Drive America and as a board member for the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern United States, Inc.