http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/050404/autos_gm.html?.v=2



Reuters
GM CEO Takes on N.American Car Operation
Monday April 4, 10:44 am ET


DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Corp. (NYSE:GM - News) said on Monday that Chief Executive Rick Wagoner will assume the leadership of automotive operations in North America, where the car company has been losing money and market share.
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Bob Lutz, chairman of GM North America, and Gary Cowger, president of GM North America, will relinquish their roles and focus full-time on global responsibilities. Lutz will lead GM's global product development activities, and Cowger will focus on global manufacturing and labor.

The moves follow last month's warning by the Detroit automaker that its earnings this year would be as much as 80 percent below its forecast, due to U.S. market share losses to foreign competitors and climbing health-care costs.

"Given the challenges we face in North America, it makes sense for me to assume control of GMNA's (General Motors North America) day-to-day operations and shorten the lines of communication and decision-making," Wagoner said in a statement.

Last month, GM reorganized its global vehicle development and engineering operations, combining four different regions into a single system to speed up the launch of new cars and trucks.

"Now's the right time to accelerate the global integration of two of our most important functions, product development and manufacturing/labor," Wagoner said.

GM's weaker North American operations had sent its bond rating down to just one step above "junk" status at two ratings agencies, and its stock price to its lowest level in more than 13 years.

Last week, GM posted a 1.3 percent drop in its U.S. sales, with weaker results for some of its most profitable vehicles -- mid-size and full-size sport utility vehicles.





Interesting...

 

I've lost all faith in GM...
I don't see how they are going to surivive long-term if all they produce is crap.
Then again, this might be a step in the right direction..maybe...

 

I don't see how it's a demotion....he was head of product development for North America, and now he's head of global product development. Seems like a step up to me?

 

I hope it'll allow him to concentrate less on the business aspects and more on the styling aspects. I also hope they put him in hand-cuffs style wise, GM needs a home run.

 

before you guys start listening to rumors you guys need to go check out Cheers & gears.

 

I think I 'd rather him get assasinated.

 

He didnt get demoted he got a chance to work on Global production Development which I do belive he wanted & is lot bigger then being a Chairmen of GM North America so he got promoted
First of all I just went over to C&G & found this:

Lutz, Cowger to Focus Full-Time on Global Assignments; Wagoner Assumes Leadership of GM North America

http://www.media.gm.com/servlet/Gate...=2&docid=13660


DETROIT - 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.

 

Woo hoo! Bout damn time that ***** got off the gold chair. I think it may be too late, but at least that bafoon is gone.

 

HE IS NOT GONE! HE TOOK OVER GOBLE PRODCUTION DEVELOPMENT. which means he can still be in charge of the camaro since it is one of the car that is goblely (sp) produced.

 

Gone in my eyes, don't really care what happens outside the US.

 

Which means you dont care about the camaro or the Fbody because it is not just produced for sale here in the US.

One of the things they are trying to do is get more of the Holden cars to the us.

 

Thats exactly what we need isn't it? A holden car....

Sorry but ZETA was cancelled, thank Bob for it.

 

you all really hate Lutz that much? I think GM would have be in far worse shape without him..

 

I love how people who know nothing about how GM operates can tell us how things are.

For starters, I'd say it's pretty much a certainty that Lutz was not the sole decision maker in the Zeta cancellation.

 

The Camaro was NEVER slated to the Zeda program. Go read Cheers & Gears website which is a GM forum.

Not only that if GM doesnt get on the wagon for the Global production you might as well kiss GM Good bye. Because the import auto makers are here & selling cars in the Global Markent. Thats why they are so easy to get your hands on.