• by Tanya Gazdik , October 25, 2024

BMW’s Mini USA business unit is losing its longtime marketing chief, Patrick McKenna, who is retiring after 27 years. 

Kate Alini becomes department manager of marketing, product and strategy for Mini USA effective Jan. 1.  She will lead all aspects of marketing, product planning, and strategy development for the Mini brand in the United States, reporting to Mike Peyton, vice president, Mini of the Americas.

Alini joins Mini USA from sibling BMW unit Rolls-Royce Motor Cars North America, where she has served as head of client and brand experience since 2020. At the ultra luxury brand, she leads all aspects of marketing, as well as customer relations, CRM and data analytics. 

Prior to Rolls-Royce, Alini spent nine years at BMW of North America where she led product planning for the brand’s luxury model portfolio. Her tenure also included managing social media and emerging technologies for BMW marketing. 

Alini was previously at Mini USA from 2004 to 2011 as marketing communications manager.

“We’re happy to welcome Kate back to Mini as the new head of marketing product planning and strategy for Mini USA, and we look forward to her experienced leadership in marketing and product planning to further grow and strengthen the Mini brand in the U.S.” said Mike Peyton, vice president, Mini of the Americas, in a release. “We’re also incredibly thankful to Patrick for his leadership, dedication, and lasting contributions to the company over his 27-year tenure, and we wish him well in his retirement.”

McKenna leaves Mini after a storied career. He spent nine years in strategic account management at several marketing and digital agencies. He then followed his dream to work for the BMW Group in 1997 as the BMW media communications manager. 

In 2002, he became the department head for BMW marketing communications and later added events and CRM to his responsibility. From that era of his career, McKenna is most proud of his role in creating the iconic BMW Films series and its induction into the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. 

In 2010 McKenna joined Mini USA to lead product planning and consumer events. He then transitioned to head up marketing in 2017, a leadership role that was later expanded to encompass all product planning, experiential marketing, and strategy functions for the brand in the U.S. In this role, a key achievement for McKenna was managing the launch of an industry-leading, end-to-end ecommerce platform for the brand.