GM Appointments Bolster International Growth Spots
January 10, 2008

Having just reported record sales outside of the U.S., General Motors has made some employee appointments to bolster fast-growing regions, especially Russia and Turkey.

Chris Gubbey, appointed chairman and managing director, GM Holden Ltd., in Australia only months ago, becomes GM Europe vice president and managing director, responsible for GM Russia and CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States).

GM, like most automakers, is scrambling to expand in Russia to keep up with growing vehicle demand there.

Gubbey succeeds Warren P. Browne, who assumes a new role as executive director, GM Europe business development, where he will lead GM’s growth strategy for Turkey.

“Russia is quickly becoming one of the largest car markets in the world, and GM achieved the number one position among non-domestic manufacturers with sales of more than 250,000 units,” GM CEO Rick Wagoner said in a statement Thursday. “In his new role, Gubbey will continue to drive our expansion in this vital high growth market.

Youngest Exec Takes Over Australia for Short-Termer

Mark Reuss, executive director, global vehicle integration, safety and virtual vehicle development, succeeds Gubbey as GM Asia Pacific vice president and president and managing director, GM Holden Ltd.

Reuss, 44, and the son of former GM president Lloyd Reuss, , Reuss is believed to be the youngest boss of GM Holden and continues a long line of appointments of non-Australians (most of the recent Holden chiefs were American), according to Australian Web site, Drive. com.

The Web site points out Reuss succeeds someone who may hold the record as the shortest tenure for a Holden boss.

"Personally I’m actually quite sad to not be able to stay here in Australia … I found it a fairly exciting place to work On that side it’s quite disappointing," Gubbey told the site in an interview. "I would have liked to have been here for the next two or three years. It’s been a hugely dynamic six months … it’s been a whirlwind experience in that time."

Gubbey told Drive.com he sees one of his biggest achievements in a relatively short time is extensive work on medium- to long-term strategy which "is now being turned into very actionable plans."

The sites points out that Gubbey barely had a chance to make his mark on a brand that for 12 years has built Australia’s most popular car – the Commodore – and led the overall market before being overtaken by arch rival Toyota.

In recent years Holden has been challenged with declining market share from 21.6% in 2002 to 14% in 2007. The company has also been trying to boost sales of the Commodore – the company’s Australian-made mainstay – as buyers downsize from large cars.

Holden builds vehicles for the Australian market as well as for export, including the Pontiac GTO, not particularly successful in the U.S., and G8, forecasts for which are iffy on its successful introduction.

However, GM likely wants to harness Gubbey’s experience in his previous role at GM China, where he was a vice president and played an integral role in the world’s fastest growing car market, for the same in Russia.

International Growth Potential

Only last week, Wagoner told Bloomberg Television that GM likely will derive 75% of its future sales from markets outside of the U.S., up from the current 58%.

“The appointment of these accomplished executives signifies GM’s continuing commitment to aggressive expansion in key growing markets around the world,” said Wagoner in a statement Thursday.

The appointments are effective Feb. 1.

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