“We want you to step up. We don’t want any bureaucracy,’’ Whitacre said to about 800 GM workers. “We’re not going to make it if you won’t take a risk,’’ he said in the address, which was broadcast to employees worldwide on the Internet.
Whitacre, 68, who has been frustrated with the pace of change, appointed the 77-year-old Lutz as a top adviser, creating an alliance of hard-charging veteran executives to lead the troubled company.
The former CEO of AT&T Inc., Whitacre heads a board that just pushed out CEO Fritz Henderson after only eight months in office.
In his 45-minute speech, Whitacre, reversed several changes that Henderson made, restoring the position of North American president and rejoining sales and marketing, which had been split in two.
Whitacre made clear he would rely on Lutz, the company’s legendary car guy, to craft GM’s future and teach him the business. “Bob, with me as a pupil, you’ve got a tough job,’’ Whitacre said.
Lutz’s new role ends his short stint as head of marketing under Henderson. Yet it was apparent from Whitacre’s speech that Lutz has his ear.
Saying that he is sick of ideas sitting on desks “while we wrangle,’’ Whitacre elevated many of the company’s younger executives.
Among them were Mark Reuss, 46, who for a short time ran engineering and was named president of North America yesterday; and Susan Docherty, 47, the former sales chief, who was picked to head sales and marketing.
Whitacre also named Nick Reilly president of GM’s European operations, which includes the Opel and Vauxhall brands.
He appointed Karl-Friedrich Stracke to head global engineering and Denise Johnson as vice president of labor relations.
Stephen Girsky, the only one of GM’s 12 board members with automotive experience, was also named a special adviser to Whitacre.
