Major management shake up at the horizon at GM

General Motors Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson is reportedly ready to launch a larger reorganization of the management of the auto giant.

By Paul A. Eisenstein, TheDetroitBureau
General Motors appears in the direction of a major reorganization, according to a number of sources, go ahead, that apparently hopes Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson to be hampered the automaker moves to a more global focus - and it help to eliminate the kind of "Fief", the long efforts, have more efficient and more competitive.

GM has taken in recent months, such as refocusing its design operations in an effort to this new vision more to individual brands than to certain global regions a series of small steps in the direction of. But the strategy also some unexpected setbacks, in particular the sudden fall worldwide marketing chief Joel Ewanick last month has suffered.

A reorganization could bring huge benefits if it results in a leaner and more efficient GM. And CEO Akerson is clearly under pressure to improve things in a company, which suffered a large decline in earnings in the second quarter - and which has seen its stock drop by more than 40 percent since its November 2010 IPO.

On the other hand, some observers point out that after years of unrest, leaders could limited by the manufacturer's 2009 bankruptcy and subsequent bailout, GM the company in chaos Tip If they are not careful. The massive and largely dysfunktionalen 1984 reorganization is a clear example of what could go wrong.

A further reorganization is now "both risky to do - but risky not to", said Analyst Jim Hall, 2953 analytics. "The question is, why it so long, took the one you recognize the effort, in have gotten."

Since the helm at GM take barely a year, after it emerged from bankruptcy July 2010, Akerson has charged agent as uncompromising change. He has a no-excuses policy followed and pushed again and again, degraded, or Manager, still not delivered. More recently, led to the departure of the hard Ewanick, upload that allegedly not company policy to follow, by trying to cover up the real cost of a huge Football League sponsorship.

But the CEO has focused attention on Europe and the near-collapse of car maker Opel subsidiary. The result was an important factor for the 40% decline in GM in the second quarter and in turn, an important reason why GM has already bearing floats from his 33 in or in the range of $20 lately, $ per share IPO price.


Top management at Opel in Germany was unceremoniously deposed earlier in this summer and Akerson assigned to GM Vice Chairman and former Wall Street analyst Steve Girsky things straightened.

Girsky made no secret of the fact that he is planning to reorganize the Opel subsidiary. He has negotiated already closures and other changes, plant, although some who moves will implement several more to take years.

But few observers, either inside or outside of the GM, expect things to stop at Opel.

"There are some big changes and it affects the whole company, said a manager which are not specifically identified."

In fact, GM has recently a major realignment of its global design operations and, that some sources given, are a clear indication of what is to come. The move was meant, a greater focus on individual brands General Motors place - who 2009 survived the bankruptcy.

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Some believe that Opel could to will see GM Finally, even less important, while more the focus of Chevrolet car manufacturers on . GM biggest global brand in recent years significantly growing, both in emerging markets like China and in more areas, such as Europe. About 60 percent of sales of Chevrolet now come from markets outside of North America.


According to an Executive with some prior knowledge of the process design of the reorganization, "we modeling are what we do more after Volkswagen Toyota." This makes sense, because VW a company that operates numerous brands - 12 total - and experienced numerous challenges and GM faces changes.

But certain details of GM are a closely held secret plans. Akerson, a former telecommunications industry executive, has shown, that little tolerance for the automobile world trend to let information leak out. In fact, the one-time Navy officer GM employees recently said during a Corporatewide Conference, such activities are synonymous with "Treason."

(Ironically, were played to tapes and notes from the Conference to the media quickly.)

What specific seems to head analyst Rebecca Lindland of IHS automotive, is that "There is a lot of questions about the competence of the many GM Guide." "So a reorg would cut probably very deep."

Fold would, which declared the Akerson order GM a leaner, faster-acting company with fewer layers of management. The Executive is also used to try to make sure that GM rather makes companies more interest as a whole as a collection of individual fief under the supervision of managers on their own as the company displayed good features. This was a problem what Alan Mulally faced when he Ford Motor Co. similar to six years ago.

"There are too many possibilities definitely reconsider and realign,", analyst said Lindland. For his part, consultant Hall but stressed that those to ignore the past are doomed to repeat it. And the last thing GM needs, he claimed a repeat is what has been called "Rogerama."

This is a derisive reference to the GM reorganization of former Chairman Roger B. Smith and Advisor to McKinsey & company designed in more than a quarter of a century before. It also tried, reduce levels and the Empire by eliminating such companies to consolidate fief as Fisher body. But the result was the virtual paralysis of the company for almost two years.

In view of the possible problems of GM faced is primarily - but not limited to - Europe, Akerson and his top management team probably have no other choice than make some big changes. But they have also to make sure that a reorganization of the automaker released, leaner and more are efficiently and effectively turn it off.