Executive Shuffle: GM's Reuss Straddles the Globe As EV Boss Tackles Product
A number of General Motors executives will have to update their CVs come November 1st. As it moves to position its increasingly streamlined business for hard-fought future growth, the automaker has provided President Mark Reuss with a number of new hats.
Doug Parks, head of GM’s autonomous and electric vehicle programs since 2016, will soon find himself in charge of global product development.
“I am thrilled to be able to hand over the keys to our Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply chain team to someone as talented and dedicated as Doug, who has been instrumental in leading the development of our electric and autonomous vehicle programs,” Reuss said in a statement. “He has an outstanding team in place that will keep this company moving forward.”
The career upgrade sees Perks join the automaker’s senior leadership team. Filling Park’s castoff shoes is Ken Morris, vice president of Global Product Programs, who’ll see his old job filled by Tim Herrick, executive chief engineer of GM’s full-size trucks.
Donning the title of president in January, Reuss’ responsibilities expand come November. He’ll be tasked with overseeing the company’s North America, South America, China and International regions.
“Our industry is transforming faster than at any time in its history,” said GM CEO Mary Barra in a statement. “Aligning our regional operations under Mark will drive even greater collaboration and speed-to-market, and accelerate growth opportunities in our core business and in the future of mobility.”
Elsewhere in the automaker’s executive suite, Steve Kiefer, senior vice president, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain, will take on the role of senior vice president and president for the company’s South American and international operations.
[Image: General Motors]
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until they fix the marketing, nothing else matters and most of our work ends futile and frustrating. here's our new tailgate, buy one without and get $10,000. WTF?
What really bothers me about this move electric cars is not the change itself, as much as how it shows that the fundamental culture of GM survived the bankruptcy. That is - Here we go with another “Great Leap Forward”. GM has always and forever embraced new technologies and just jumped right in with both feet, and sadly, usually without enough testing and development before release to the public. The last successful great leap I remember is the Chevy V8 back in 1955 (although it may have had teething problems that had been forgotten and forgiven by the time I appeared on the scene). But since then, well: The Corvair. The Vega The Citation The Diesel Saturn The Fiero The 8-6-4 The Northstar All of these were -like the electric car program- headlong plunges. No gradual introductions and slow refinements for The General! Damn the [s]Toyota[/s] Torpedos! Full Speed Ahead! Again. Almost always later abbreviated to read, “ Damn Torpedos....”