GM CFO Young Named VP for International Operations

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

For all the criticism that’s been leveled at GM’s finance operation, the firm’s most recent CFOs have yet to pay much of a career price. Previous CFO Fritz Henderson was promoted to the CEO’s spot by the presidential auto task force, and Automotive News [sub] reports that current CFO Ray Young has just been named VP for International Operations. Young’s departure from GM’s finance unit has been something of a foregone conclusion since GM exited bankruptcy, with reports of his imminent departure in the Detroit papers of record going undenied, and a recent acknowledgment that a search was on for his successor. In light of GM CEO Ed Whitacre’s ongoing game of executive whack-a-mole, it was tempting to believe that Young was on his way out, but apparently GM CFOs are pre-sprayed with teflon.

Instead, Young will “lead the International Operations Finance organization, in addition to other international operating responsibilities that will be further clarified in the near term,” according to GM’s statement. With development-leading divisions like Opel and Daewoo gasping for cash, these international operations are now in as much or more trouble than GM’s well-bailed-out US operations. Whitacre may be keeping the GM lifer around with a strict house-cleaning mandate. Meanwhile, at last week’s Fastlane webchat, Whitacre noted that the search for a new CFO was nearing completion, and that Young’s successor could be named within the next several weeks.

Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

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  • Pig_Iron Pig_Iron on Dec 14, 2009

    Is that a 29% lapel pin? No? Just a lifer pin I guess.

  • Rday Rday on Dec 14, 2009

    I dunno...this is one of the shadiest looking guys I have seen in a long time. No wonder his books were a mess.

  • Ott Ott on Dec 14, 2009

    Whack-a-mole... Classic!

    • FloorIt FloorIt on Dec 14, 2009

      I think Ed took "whack-a-mole" from my comment after Fritz got fired. I can't prove it. Oh, well. I used it in the comment after watching tv show House and "whack-a-mole" was the episode title. Fit perfectly to the firing if Fritz.

  • DetroitsaRiot DetroitsaRiot on Dec 16, 2009

    GM, wholly owned subsidiary of the Sociali...... er Communist Party.

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