GM Re-org

[Bruce Nunnally]

DETROIT – To improve accountability and responsibility for market performance in North America and around the world, several key leadership changes were announced today by GM Chairman and CEO, Ed Whitacre.

“I want to give people more responsibility and authority deeper in the organization and then hold them accountable,” Whitacre said. “We’ve realigned our leadership duties and responsibilities to help us meet our mission to design, build and sell the world’s best vehicles.”

Mark Reuss is named president of GM North America. Reuss was briefly vice president of Engineering after leading GM’s Holden operations in Australia in 2008. Reporting to Reuss will be Susan E. Docherty, who is appointed vice president, Vehicle Sales, Service and Marketing operations. Also aligned under the new North American group will be Diana D. Tremblay, who is named vice president, Manufacturing and Labor Relations. Tremblay was most recently vice president of Labor Relations. Denise C. Johnson is named vice president, Labor Relations. Johnson was most recently vehicle line director and chief engineer for Global Small Cars.

Nick Reilly is named president, GM Europe. Reilly has been leading the restructuring efforts in Europe with the Opel/Vauxhall operations and will leave his role leading GM International Operations.

Tim Lee is named president of GM International Operations, overseeing GM’s Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Africa, and Middle East operations. Lee was most recently group vice president, Manufacturing and Labor Relations.

Bob Lutz remains vice chairman and will act as advisor on design and global product development.

Thomas G. Stephens remains vice chairman of Global Product Operations, and will now take on global purchasing in his organization, which will continue to be lead by Robert E. Socia, vice president, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain. Karl-Friedrich Stracke is appointed vice president, Engineering, reporting to Stephens. Stracke was most recently executive director of Engineering.

J. Christopher Preuss, vice president, Communications, will now report to Whitacre; he previously reported to Lutz.

The balance of the direct report staff remains unchanged and includes CFO Ray G. Young; John F. Smith, vice president Corporate Planning and Alliances; Terry Kline, vice president IS&S; Mary T. Barra, vice president Human Resources; Mike Millikin, vice president of Legal; and Ken C. Cole, vice president Government Relations and Public Policy.

[Bruce Nunnally]

Mark Reuss was appointed president and managing director of GM Holden Ltd, effective February 1, 2008. Reuss oversees GM's operations in Australia and New Zealand. He also serves on the GM Asia Pacific Strategy Board.

Reuss began his career with General Motors in 1983 as a university student intern with the Noise Vibration Laboratory at the Milford Proving Ground, where he developed valve trains for V6 engines.

He joined the former Flint Automotive Division in 1986 as an associate car development engineer for powertrain calibration, and then became a project engineer, developing the ride and handling for many GM luxury car programs.

Reuss was named senior project engineer, body engineering, in 1990 and worked as a body shop product and process engineer on bodyside frame metal in the large front-drive plants, launching new body shops until 1994. He was then named total vehicle engineer of the Oldsmobile Aurora and Buick Riviera later that same year, followed by total vehicle engineer positions on the Buick Park Avenue, Buick LeSabre, Oldsmobile Aurora, and Pontiac Bonneville. Reuss was then appointed vehicle line director for crossovers, with total responsibility for the crossover programs and launch at GM's Ramos Arizpe facility in Mexico.

Reuss was named executive director, architecture engineering and GM Performance Division in June 2001. He started the new GM Performance Division and launched associated production and racing vehicles. This responsibility included all production engineering in the creative design studios and concept vehicle production for auto shows.

In October 2005, Reuss was appointed executive director of North America vehicle systems and architecture. He held all release engineering responsibilities for North America vehicles in all functions of the vehicle. The following year, he was named executive director of global vehicle integration, safety, and virtual development. He had responsibility for all areas of vehicle integration/performance, safety, and math design/analysis application for GM product programs worldwide.

Born on October 19, 1963, Reuss received a bachelor of engineering degree in mechanical engineering from Vanderbilt University in 1986 and a master's degree in business administration from Duke University in 1990. He is a certified industry pool test driver on the North Course of the famed Nürburgring motorsport race track in Nürburg, Germany, and has earned his license for Grand American Road Racing.

He is member of the Horizon Upward Bound/Cranbrook Schools Board of Directors and a member of the Vanderbilt University School of Engineering Board of Visitors. Reuss is also GM's key executive for Penn State University.