Whitacre Shakes Up GM Management — Again
Three days after Fritz Henderson resigned as chief executive of General Motors, a second round of management changes has been announced at the troubled automaker. Among them: Vice Chairman Bob Lutz will return to a role designing new products, rather than heading up marketing. Lutz filled in for Henderson two days ago at the L.A. Auto Show.
These are the other personnel changes:
• Mark Reuss will be president of GM’s North American operations
• Susan Docherty will oversee sales, services and marketing
• Nick Reilly will become GM Europe’s president
• Tim Lee will succeed Reilly as international chief
According to a report in today’s Wall Street Journal, CEO Ed Whitacre “drew up the new management blueprint in a matter of four hours,” adding that the plan “is a reflection of Whitacre’s desire that younger and stronger leaders take on more prominent roles at the 101-year-old auto maker.”
The WSJ article quotes a source who says a similar management shakeup would have beena two-month process at the old GM. Might Whitacre actually be cutting through some of GM’s red tape?
