GM to refresh management
GENERAL Motors will announce a major overhaul of its European management structure this week as it seeks to reassert control over its lossmaking operations.
Nick Reilly, European head of GM and chief executive of Opel and Vauxhall, is expected to unveil a new “one tier” management that combines the three brands’ executives.
The shake-up follows a string of changes in the US under interim chief executive Ed Whitacre, and could mirror the American division’s push for younger leaders.
A spokesman said: “Nick Reilly is going to reorganise Europe big time.”
The reshuffle follows Reilly’s promise to safeguard 5,000 UK jobs until at least 2013. Although GM recently announced 350 job losses at Luton as part of a programme of 9,000 redundancies worldwide, Reilly said these would happen through staff retiring rather than being sacked.
He said: “There will be no forced redundancies at Ellesmere Port and at Luton it is similar. I can tell you there is a strong future for both plants.”
Reilly said the launch of the new Vauxhall Astra in Ellesmere Port was central to GM’s European plans.
Changes at the Luton plant, which makes Vivaro vans for Renault, would not happen until 2013 and discussions would take place after that to manufacture another model, he said.