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Wednesday, 2 December, 2009 6:42 PM

General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson steps down unexpectedly

PHOTO BY JASON RZUCIDLO / ©AMERICAJR.com The General Motors World Headquarters are located inside the Renaissance Center in Detroit.

GM Statement Attributed to Chairman Ed Whitacre:

DETROIT -- At its monthly meeting in Detroit today, the General Motors Board of Directors accepted the resignation of Fritz Henderson as Director, President and CEO of the company.

Fritz has done a remarkable job in leading the company through an unprecedented period of challenge and change. While momentum has been building over the past several months, all involved agree that changes needed to be made. To this end, I have taken over the role of Chairman and CEO while an international search for a new president and CEO begins immediately. With these new duties, I will begin working in the Renaissance Center headquarters on a daily basis. The leadership team - many who are with me today - are united and committed to the task at hand.

I want to assure all of our employees, dealers, suppliers, union partners and most of all, our customers, that GM's daily business operations will continue as normal. I remain more convinced than ever that our company is on the right path and that we will continue to be a leader in offering the worldwide buying public the highest quality, highest value cars and trucks. We now need to accelerate our progress toward that goal, which will also mean a return to profitability and repaying the American and Canadian tax payers as soon as possible.

In closing, I want to once again thank Fritz Henderson for his years of leadership and service to General Motors; we're grateful for his many contributions. I look forward to working with the entire GM team as we now begin the next chapter of this great company.

Source: General Motors

 

GM Reports 151,427 Total Sales in November

Retail Sales for Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC Up 10 Percent

 

DETROIT – GM dealers in the U.S. delivered 151,427 vehicles in November. While this represents a decline of 2 percent compared with November 2008, GM retail sales were up 1 percent for the month. Total sales for Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac were up 6 percent vs. the prior year. Retail sales for these brands were up 10 percent vs. the prior year, and currently represent 94 percent of GM’s retail sales performance.

“Consumer interest in our launch vehicles remains solid,” said Susan Docherty, GM vice president, U.S. Sales. “We’re working to strengthen our Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac brands by providing cars, crossovers and trucks with the sales and service experience that our customers deserve. We have more to do, but we’re committed to earning consideration and future sales by delivering great products in every segment.”

November quick facts:

“We continue to be encouraged by the latest information which shows the U.S. economy strengthening,” said Mike DiGiovanni, executive director, Global Market and Industry Analysis. “For example, we estimate that housing starts will probably rise to about 600,000 to 650,000 by the end of 2010, which will have a positive effect on the economy and will also help support improvement in light-duty pickup truck sales.”

Source: General Motors