Mark Reuss Webchat

[Bruce Nunnally]

Phil Colley:

Hey everyone, thanks for joining. Mark will be here in just a couple minutes.

Friday December 11, 2009 14:01 Phil Colley

14:03

Mark Reuss:

Hey everyone I am here sorry for the 3 min tardiness

Friday December 11, 2009 14:03 Mark Reuss

14:04

[Comment From Todd W. Todd W. : ]

Hello, Mark! What does the future hold for RWD cars in Chevy's North American portfolio?

Friday December 11, 2009 14:04 Todd W.

14:05

Mark Reuss:

Hey well u know i came up from down under--so i still think RWD--if done efficently and with low mass is relevant and a ton of fun! pls excuse my fat fingers if it happens!

Friday December 11, 2009 14:05 Mark Reuss

14:06

[Comment From bernard simon bernard simon : ]

Good afternoon. How will GMNA under Mark Reuss be different from GMNA under Fritz Henderson?

Friday December 11, 2009 14:06 bernard simon

14:07

[Comment From Guest Guest : ]

As president of NA GM, what is going to be your priority?

Friday December 11, 2009 14:07 Guest

14:09

Mark Reuss:

That is a good question.....I plan to have a small team (5 direct reports) that are laser focussed on sales, marketing, onstar, manufacturing, canada, mexico---Fritz had a lot more to do which he did well but there are only 24hrs in a day for the man. Priority ? Tell people about our cars and trucks, regain the confidence of the Canadian, American, and Mexican people. SELL and make some MONEY.

Friday December 11, 2009 14:09 Mark Reuss

14:10

[Comment From Mike Mike : ]

Good afternoon Mark. My question as always is regarding Pontiac. GM has made a bad decision in cancelling this legendary automobile and the great G8 along with it. I have driven Pontiacs for 40+ years and there is no better car that GM makes. Is there any chance this decision can be reversed?

Friday December 11, 2009 14:10 Mike

14:12

Mark Reuss:

Hey Mike I have owned and operated and still own Pontiacs (i have Solstice that I plan to convert to Z0k SCCA car with my son). It was painful watching this from Australia. I lost one full shift of people and plant with G8. Man oh Man. Well--I cannot say at this point--cause I dont know--but it does not look good for that. Things happened.

Friday December 11, 2009 14:12 Mark Reuss

14:12

[Comment From Todd Lassa, Motor Trend Todd Lassa, Motor Trend : ]

Pardon me for crashing the consumers' webchat. You've had much success with the 3.6-liter gas direct-injection V-6. But the 3.0-liter version sold in North America doesn't seem to gain any EPA fuel mileage benefit, and it probably costs just about as much. Can you tell us anything about your future V-6 engine strategy for something between the 4-cylinder engines and the 3.6?

Friday December 11, 2009 14:12 Todd Lassa, Motor Trend

14:14

Mark Reuss:

Hey Todd arent you a newly married consumer too? Ha--any how the 3.0L v6 is a challenge to calibrate depending on the vehicle. We did it really well on the RWD Zeta in Oz--just introduced it down under and it rocks. So, I need to get into this here in NA and look at how we did it and bring some of that knowledge into it.

Friday December 11, 2009 14:14 Mark Reuss

14:15

[Comment From Robert B Robert B : ]

What is the first sign that we will see from your Tenure at GM as it pertains to Dealer Operations?

Friday December 11, 2009 14:15 Robert B

14:17

Mark Reuss:

Well--dealers are gonna be my first activity-met with some Caddy dealers 2 nights ago..... The legislation that is happening is a good thing--to bring integrity and the right decisions for the companies and the families of our dealers across the land--it is an opportunity for all of us to make the right decisions and move on. The relationships of dealers and customers is my highest priority. period.

Friday December 11, 2009 14:17 Mark Reuss

14:18

[Comment From Jones Jones : ]

Are there any key products that you feel need to be accelerated to meet market demand or enter new segments?

Friday December 11, 2009 14:18 Jones

14:20

Mark Reuss:

Ok the Volt is key for us all in NA. It is in fact creating a new segment and leapfrogging traditional hybrids. I have been spending a ton of my time in my old job on it--driving it (in rain--no i did not recieve volts so I love it and we cant wait to have it here. I launched Cruze in Oz and I cannot wait for it here as well--although we did not have the 1.4T we only had 1.8L and diesel--so all three will be really well recieved. I also like z28's.

Friday December 11, 2009 14:20 Mark Reuss

14:21

[Comment From doug cameron doug cameron : ]

How will the decision to keep control of Opel impact product development in GMNA, compared to what might have happened had you sold a majority stake?

Friday December 11, 2009 14:21 doug cameron

14:23

Mark Reuss:

Good question. I put Karl Stracke in behind me here as VP of Veh Eng Globally. He is from Opel and one of the best eng guys ever--so he will help us raise the bar even further in how we knit Opel and everyone together to kick it. So, Opel is a really really good set of engineers that will add to our vehicles throughout the world, and they can again put the Opel DNA back into the local brand products in Europe.

Friday December 11, 2009 14:23 Mark Reuss

14:24

[Comment From Dan Dan : ]

Is our government interfering with product decisions...like being green?

Friday December 11, 2009 14:24 Dan

14:25

Mark Reuss:

No they are not. They like our plans for our products and the resultant focus that we have on green house gas and petrol use. ( sorry gasoline--two years in Oz affecting my speech

Friday December 11, 2009 14:25 Mark Reuss

14:26

[Comment From Adam @highmileage Adam @highmileage : ]

Hyundai recently announced a 35-mpg Sonata GDI I4, putting Fusion in 2nd place and Malibu in 3rd. Does GM plan to win the midsize MPG race now that Toyota and Honda aren't even in the top 3?

Friday December 11, 2009 14:26 Adam @highmileage

Mark Reuss:

Well quality is really built intial quality, percieved quality, and long term reliability---a and customers by based on all of it. Consumers Reports wont give us the nod on reliability on our new models cause they are so new on our new global vehicles.....so it will take time and hence proof that they earn the nod--and we will.

[Bruce Nunnally]

http://fastlane.gmblogs.com/

14:32

[Comment From Chrissie Thompson Chrissie Thompson : ]

Who do you view as your top competitor in North America?

Friday December 11, 2009 14:32 Chrissie Thompson

14:34

Mark Reuss:

I dont think any one competitior in any one segment is the only competitor for any one of our vehicles in total. Toyota sells a lot of vehicles so we always look at them. Honda makes very good vehicles --and particularly I like the engines-- so for each vehicle we do we now have a few rides on friday to select from our competition the single vehicle we will win with, and then we anticipate where they will be, and then we beat it.

14:35

[Comment From Josh Oliver - TheGMSource Josh Oliver - TheGMSource : ]

Mr. Reuss - considering your love for performance vehicles and the publics desire for a REAR WHEEL DRIVE Chevrolet sedan, might you reconsider the Caprice program for retail sales?

14:36

Mark Reuss:

hey i am a free-thinker!!!!

14:36

[Comment From Don Willems Don Willems : ]

How do you feel about paying back government loans faster? How do you think the public would react to that?

14:38

Mark Reuss:

Hey I am a tax payer to the USA again too! In fact when I was in Australia I got to do that too!! Anyway, I am thankful and grateful for the money from us taxpayers to give us a chance to create a new GM and do it right. So i would like a nice refund from uncle sam as much as anyone....!

[Bruce Nunnally]

14:46

[Comment From Jim C. Jim C. : ]

Everyone says "its product and the marketplace" that decides your comeback. After product....what in your view, is the second biggest hurdle Gm needs to overcome to ultimately be successfull?

Friday December 11, 2009 14:46 Jim C.

14:46

[Comment From TIM TIM : ]

WITH ALL THE CHANGES GOING ON IN GENERAL MOTORS. DEALERS AND CUSTOMERS ARE WORRIED. WHAT CAN YOU SAY TO REASSURE US?

Friday December 11, 2009 14:46 TIM

14:48

Mark Reuss:

Well again I say the relationships of GM and its dealers and then the relationships of the dealer with the customer is where it is at..... and I stand behind our product--and I was involved in all of our new product---is the answer. No parlor tricks--stay with us. You will like what is going to happen. Trust is key. Dont take the changes in our teams as a bad sign. It is all about putting in place what is needed to be great again. And we will.

Friday December 11, 2009 14:48 Mark Reuss

14:48

Mark Reuss:

sorry i sound like a broken record.

Friday December 11, 2009 14:48 Mark Reuss

14:49

[Comment From Brandon Brandon : ]

How will you attract young customers who have zero nostalgia for past GM products and a skeptical view of GM considering its recent past?

Friday December 11, 2009 14:49 Brandon

14:50

[Comment From Adam @highmileage Adam @highmileage : ]

My thought is that, to make GMC and Buick relevant to millennials, those brands *must* have autonomous (not shared) and declarative (boldly designed) products. What do you think?

Friday December 11, 2009 14:50 Adam @highmileage

14:53

Mark Reuss:

Great question. Young folks like my kids have zero nostalgia--and i know that. At the same time, some of what made a Buick great is not all bad--but not known--I dont want to repeat old marketing stuff--it just in not relavant--the Buick stuff I said was just for fun. HOWEVER--we need to get the younger folks buying us again--as you would think. So,---HOT DESIGN is the beginning of bringing them to interest in the car--the first LaCrosse sold was a 33 yr old--a step in the right direction--but the 20 year olds need to have confidence in the car--it is a lot of money-- a high percent of disposal income--for young folks to spend--and I know when I bought my first car I want a piece of mind of what I buy--quality, safety, service, veh perfomance---you get the idea----so we will go to work on it.

Friday December 11, 2009 14:53 Mark Reuss

14:54

[Comment From Mahendra Mahendra : ]

It appears that you have shifted focus at GM more on revenue side than containing costs. If the market remains constrained how do you make GM profitable and develop market share?

Friday December 11, 2009 14:54 Mahendra

14:56

Mark Reuss:

Well again--man these are all great questions--we have product that people will be willing to pay for because they see value in the car---styling, quality, service--safety--and our new product will have it--so the incentive of the day goes away cause the product drives value and we make money on good product. i know this sounds fundamental--and yes it is :)Cool

Friday December 11, 2009 14:56 Mark Reuss

14:57

Mark Reuss:

got time for one more--hey this has been fun with great questions----

Friday December 11, 2009 14:57 Mark Reuss

14:57

[Comment From Jack Ammerman Jack Ammerman : ]

I think the key to attracting young customers is basically "get their rears in the seats." Once they try a G.M. product, they will love it! Is there any marketing plan pointed at doing this with that segment or even older drivers?

Friday December 11, 2009 14:57 Jack Ammerman

14:59

Mark Reuss:

Yes there is...we started what I think was a wonderful drive and show our products program in towns and cities across the NA markets before the whole global financial crisis. We could not do it for obvious reasons--so I want to do this again--does not matter what age our customers are ---so that will be really really good to really show folks what we have !!!!

Friday December 11, 2009 14:59 Mark Reuss

[Bruce Nunnally]

15:01

Mark Reuss:

hey thanks for joining!!!! I will do this again so I can help answer more questions....my fingers are tired and the Red Wings play tonight --time for a little dinner with my 5 year old, my 13 year old, my 15 year old, and my beautiful wife.