More Mess: GM Fires Opel CEO, Keeps His Lukewarm Plan

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

After putting Opel CEO Stracke abruptly out to pasture, one would think that his (allegedly interim) successor Steve Girsky has a new plan to rescue Opel and to spare GM shareholders further losses. Not so. The new man will keep the old plan. “GM fully supports the current plan to strengthen Opel and improve its operational competitiveness,” a spokesman for Opel told Reuters.

A few weeks after Stracke had submitted a lukewarm restructuring plan, Stracke was abruptly fired, with Girsky taking his job until a new CEO is found.

The usually well informed Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung thinks it knows who will succeed the interim boss: Opel strategy boss Thomas Sedran, formerly at management consultancy Alix Parters.

FAZ says that once found, the new boss “won’t stay for long either.” GM is looking for a newer than new Opel CEO who is not coming from inside of the ranks. “In view of the situation, it will be hard to motivate a top executive for the job at Opel,” FAZ says. “Jobs at other employers such as Volkswagen, Daimler or BMW are far too attractive.” Job security sucks: Historically, the average shelf life of an Opel CEO is three years. This dropped to one year in more recent history.

Rotating captains while the Titanic is sinking is not a good idea.

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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 3 comments
  • Omnifan Omnifan on Jul 14, 2012

    Fritz was right. Should've dumped Opel when they had a willing buyer.

  • Detroit-X Detroit-X on Jul 14, 2012

    Omnifan: Totally agree. GM alternates between (A) re-orging and shuffling people around, demonstrating job-experience means nothing to them, and (B) keeping an eternal money-pit like Opel because all the "resources" are so "valuable." Poor management decisions. Still. (Maybe "the plan" has a killer Powerpoint presentation.)

  • Sector 5 Sector 5 on Jul 14, 2012

    Girsky name: rented rubber stamp for the deutsche govt & board.

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