GM Exec. Changes
Lutz, Cowger to Focus Full-Time on Global Assignments;
Wagoner Assumes Leadership of GM North America
DETROIT, April 4 -- General Motors Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner announced
a series of senior leadership changes today as the next step in transforming
GM into a globally integrated business.
Vice Chairman Bob Lutz and Group Vice President Gary Cowger will focus
full-time on their global responsibilities: Lutz on leading GM's global
product development activities, and Cowger on global manufacturing/labor.
Lutz and Cowger will relinquish their current roles at GM North America,
and Wagoner will assume leadership of GMNA, while retaining his current
positions.
'Given the challenges we face in North America, it makes sense for me to
assume control of GMNA's day-to-day operations and shorten the lines of
communication and decision-making,' Wagoner said.
'At the same time, as we look at our global business, it's clear that the
two areas most critical to our future success are achieving excellence in
every product we develop, and doing it with the most competitive manufacturing
system. And Bob and Gary are our two executives most experienced and skilled
in these key areas.'
Wagoner noted that GM has operated much of its business on a global basis
for several years now and has made considerable progress in better utilizing
its global resources and capabilities to serve regional and local markets more
effectively.
'We've come very far on the long journey from our traditional standalone
business model for each major national market, and more recently for each of
our four regions. Now's the right time to accelerate the global integration
of two of our most important functions, product development and
manufacturing/labor,' he said.
Today's move follows last month's announcement that GM had appointed
several executives to global positions in product development.
'With the ongoing globalization of GM's product development organization,
and the implementation of our global architecture strategy, Bob felt he needed
to devote his efforts to product development full-time, and I agreed,' Wagoner
said. 'I'll continue to value his business advice and support, but Bob's
legacy at GM will be in our future cars and trucks. It makes sense for him to
devote his full energies to that critical task.'
Wagoner noted that GM has made tremendous progress in implementing its
Global Manufacturing System around the world, including industry-leading
health and safety performance, higher quality and productivity.
'Now, the next stage is to enhance our manufacturing flexibility globally
and more effectively integrate our global manufacturing capacity. It's
logical to have Gary focus his full efforts on that,' he said. 'He has worked
effectively around the world, and understands the opportunities and challenges
of leveraging our manufacturing capabilities.
'In manufacturing, one of our biggest challenges is our lack of cost-
competitiveness in the United States, which is due to our legacy costs,
especially the ever-increasing burden of high health-care expenses,' Wagoner
said. 'Addressing this challenge in a fair and equitable way requires close
work with our union partners, in addition to our ongoing work with government
and health-care providers. With his vast experience in labor relations, Gary
is the ideal person to do this.'
'I look forward to working closely with an energized, aggressive GMNA
team, including several recently appointed new leaders, to move faster on the
path toward re-establishing profitability in GM's largest regional business
unit,' Wagoner said.
'I feel confident today's moves will accelerate GM's transition to a
globally integrated automotive business that takes full advantage of our
global expertise and delivers the kind of products that our customers expect
in each local market, as well as the business results that our shareholders
deserve.'
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been
the global industry sales leader since 1931. Founded in 1908, GM today
employs about 324,000 people around the world. It has manufacturing
operations in 32 countries and its vehicles are sold in 200 countries. In
2004, GM sold nearly 9 million cars and trucks globally, up 4 percent and the
second-highest total in the company's history. GM's global headquarters are
at the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit.
SOURCE General Motors Corporation
-0- 04/04/2005 P
/NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional media information, visit
http://media.gm.com ./
/CONTACT: Tom Kowaleski, Vice President, GM Communications,
+1-313-667-3437, thomas.kowaleski@gm.com , or Brian Akre, Director, Executive
Communications & Corporate News Relations, +1-313-665-3159, mobile:
+1-313-378-8697, brian.akre@gm.com , both of General Motors Corporation/
/Web site: http://media.gm.com
http://www.gm.com /
(GM)
END
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