GM Canada gets new president in shakeup

[Blue_Tires]

TORONTO — The president of General Motors' Canadian subsidiary will be moved to the automaker's public policy centre and replaced by the former head of GM's parts and service operations, the company announced Tuesday.

Incoming GM Canada president Kevin Williams will report to Mark Reuss, who has been president of GM North America since December, and replace Arturo Elias, who has headed the Canadian operation since 2006.

The change at the Oshawa, Ont.-based Canadian subsidiary was part of a broader overhaul of GM's North American management structure.

The Detroit automaker will split sales from marketing after combining them under Susan Docherty in December. She now leads marketing while sales will be headed by Steve Carlisle, who was Southeast Asia executive director.

"It's become extremely clear to me since taking this role that there is a better way to structure this organization," Reuss said in a statement.

"The premise of the structure is simple -- a clearer marketing focus to sell more vehicles, and freeing our sales and service experts to focus on customers and dealers."

The company also split up sales and marketing for its remaining brands, Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac and reassigned other executives.

Until recently the world's biggest automaker for decades, General Motors only survived last year after receiving billions of dollars in assistance from governments in the United States and Canada and concessions from unions.

Elias will report to John Montford, GM's senior adviser of public policy. CEO Ed Whitacre Jr. has said that new executives will have little time to show results.
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