GM Inside News Forum banner

Success or Failure, Cadillac in Firm Charge of Destiny

7K views 78 replies 37 participants last post by  Ed753 
#1 ·
Success or Failure, Cadillac in Firm Charge of Destiny
Wards Auto
by James M. Amend
Jul 27, 2015

General Motors leadership earlier this year cemented intentions to shake off years of fits and starts at Cadillac and commit to a categorical repositioning of the 113-year-old luxury brand, backing the move with a $12 billion capital investment, a disengagement from the automaker’s traditional management structure and a stand-alone New York headquarters for the unit slated to open in September.

WardsAuto recently caught up with Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen, a veteran luxury-brand executive hired away from Nissan’s Infiniti arm one year ago and tasked with executing the latest comeback plan.

WardsAuto: Cadillac used the Detroit and New York shows to announce the capital investment and unveil a new range-topping car with the sort of pomp and circumstance unseen from the brand. What’s the message to your German and Japanese rivals?

De Nysschen: Cadillac is back, and back with a vengeance. We are a team of people who are very honored and privileged to be entrusted with writing the next chapter of Cadillac. We’ve been granted phenomenal resources and freedom with a complete focus on the luxury business. No more multiple heads and multiple responsibilities. Cadillac people will be Cadillac people.

WardsAuto: With the move to New York, do you risk losing key Cadillac people?

De Nysschen: It stands to reason when you do a corporate relocation, that you will not be able to bring the entire team, because people have personal circumstances that may preclude them. But you need to maintain at least a minimum level of institutional knowledge. It has to be transferred. This is not the first time I’ve done a corporate relocation and you do that by identifying the nucleus, the absolute key roles and functions and people that capture the lion’s share of that institutional knowledge.

WardsAuto: Is the New York auto show going to be Cadillac’s auto show from now on, as Frankfurt might be for the German makes and Tokyo for the Japanese?

De Nyssschen: It is a hometown show. I don’t guarantee that we will have a global premiere at every New York auto show, but for us it will certainly be a very important event on the calendar.

*Full Article/Interview at Link
 
See less See more
#3 ·
Indeed. Textbook politicianspeak. Almost all publik figures do it. They simply CANNOT speak clearly, concisely, and BRIEFLY.

Happened last night at the Tigers game. One of the other teenagers in the broadcast booth asked Curt Schilling something about could he have done this to fix that in his delivery, as they were discussing one of the pitchers.

That is a YES or NO question.

Shill goes off on paragraph after paragraph diatribe.

What was the question? Never mind, I don't care because you're either a total jerk or so stupid you didn't understand a YES or NO question.

SOP for politicians, and auto execs, sinators and reps and presidents and other operators at that level, like generals and admirals and others too numerous to name, are first and foremost politicians or they wouldn't have gotten where they've gotten.
 
#5 ·
I thought these two statements were pretty spot on:

"It’s exactly the place for us to be. Not because we will make better decisions here, but because the men and women who have the destiny of Cadillac in their hands will be immersed in an environment where we see the world through the eyes of our customers. And that will guide our own mindsets so we will make the right decisions."


"I would add, I read with amusement, “Cadillac is so stupid, they moved to New York. Who do they think is going to buy their cars in New York?” If anybody thinks we moved to New York because we somehow imagine the whole future of Cadillac exists on how many cars we sell here, then they really confirm their expertise about the auto business."
 
#7 ·
I thought these two statements were pretty spot on:

"I would add, I read with amusement, “Cadillac is so stupid, they moved to New York. Who do they think is going to buy their cars in New York?” If anybody thinks we moved to New York because we somehow imagine the whole future of Cadillac exists on how many cars we sell here, then they really confirm their expertise about the auto business."
Hahahaaa! JDN was probably quoting the experts on GMI! :p:
 
#6 ·
True, nothing new was offered, but the fact he is continuing with the same theme we heard 6+ moths ago is astounding for GM where direction and management seemed to change ever other month. I find it reassuring that Cadillac now has one direction, one voice, one leader. It's not that JDN's way is superior to other ways, it's that he was able to get commitment from the GM executive suite, the ability to separate Cadillac and no longer be subject to the political whims of top management.

Is there really much more of a story that we need? From here on out, words are just that, words. Actions are what will prove the words and we need to see the actual product and marketing come to fruition. And for that we will need patience with the slow pace of the automotive world, which is tough in today's world where Apple launches a new phone every year, etc..
 
#15 ·
confused with the OLD names as NO new naming c are are available yet

I thought these two statements were pretty spot on:

"It’s exactly the place for us to be. Not because we will make better decisions here, but because the men and women who have the destiny of Cadillac in their hands will be immersed in an environment where we see the world through the eyes of our customers. And that will guide our own mindsets so we will make the right decisions."


"I would add, I read with amusement, “Cadillac is so stupid, they moved to New York. Who do they think is going to buy their cars in New York?” If anybody thinks we moved to New York because we somehow imagine the whole future of Cadillac exists on how many cars we sell here, then they really confirm their expertise about the auto business."
I believe the NY move was partly to separate the GM people from the CADDY people and to get more isolation from GM brass
and with the fact that 6 months on and with little to show so far they are STILL on the same "record" is proof it is working so far
 
#13 ·
LUUUVVVV this:

I would add, I read with amusement, “Cadillac is so stupid, they moved to New York. Who do they think is going to buy their cars in New York?” If anybody thinks we moved to New York because we somehow imagine the whole future of Cadillac exists on how many cars we sell here, then they really confirm their expertise about the auto business.
 
#22 · (Edited)
I wonder.

It is good to remember here that there is another person at Cadillac called Uwe (Thanks SFBREH) Ellinghaus, Marketing Chief, that arrived a while before Mr. De Nysshen that has been working with the Design Studios on the next generation of Cadillacs. JDN will have his say, of course.

I think we may see a hint/forecast in the form of a Concept car. I think maybe Detroit 2017. That would be closer to an "In Showrooms" date for the first production models. Just a guess, of course.
 
#20 ·
YAWN. The more I listen to this guy the even more respect I have for Mr. Bob Lutz. In every interview with Lutz there was at least one good anectode and at least one sentence about products. JDN keeps on behaving like EU-politician, BS corporate-talk about things people don't really care etc. I don't care where Cadillac HQ is located. I want to know when CT6 gets a V8 and why Cadillac didn't care much about interior details of CT6. Good luck JDN.
 
#30 · (Edited)
I REALLY would have preferred to see a line of questioning that dug deeper from here:

WardsAuto: Cadillac is a 113-year-old brand, but in many ways resembles a startup company. Would you agree?

De Nysschen: Precisely. Cadillac is a subsidiary of a global titan of a car company. It puts us in the best of both worlds. We are small and agile and fleet-footed, we are focused entirely on the luxury business, but where we need to and want to harness the resources of General Motors the door is open. That really puts us in a strong and competitive position.
For example:

-- In what ways is Cadillac more agile?
-- What does Cadillac do differently compared to the larger entity? Different in development? In marketing? In branding?
-- How does Cadillac "resemble a startup company?" Is it in the forward thinking initiatives? (If any?) Is it in innovation? Is it because there's beer in the fridge and vodka and ice cream in the freezer? WHAT?
-- How does Cadillac focus on the luxury market as a "startup entity?"
-- Is it advantageous as a "startup entity" in the luxury market, compared to the rest of the industry?
-- Startups are very lean organizations, with a people managing multiple tasks simultaneously. (Wearing many hats.) What does Cadillac do different in this regard, when compared to GM as a whole? When compared to the industry?


If questions like these aren't answered, then it's just a bunch of phrases coming out of de Nysschen's mouth.
 
#31 ·
Perhaps JDN reads GMI?

I would add, I read with amusement, “Cadillac is so stupid, they moved to New York. Who do they think is going to buy their cars in New York?” If anybody thinks we moved to New York because we somehow imagine the whole future of Cadillac exists on how many cars we sell here, then they really confirm their expertise about the auto business.

Wasn't that essentially 98% of all the posts here on GMI??? And the other 2% of posts was me and a few others essentially saying, "You have no clue what Cadillac's motives truly are?"
 
#42 ·
I think that what De Ny is saying is that he is streamlining the management , relocating the core people ! Perhaps the man has a point here for I keep harping about the bloated corporation this GM entity has become , in my opinion , a tenured home for upper management .
 
#47 ·
The 1970 Chevelle had better rear leg room than than the Cadillac Eldorado of the day.
 
#46 ·
Absolutely. But we live in a world where I actually got into an argument with a guy who put here is the "real world" about how he couldn't understand why his Mustang couldn't tow his trailer the way his dad's Sierra could, despite similar HP. This actually happened
 
  • Like
Reactions: megeebee
#57 ·
I'm 6'2.5 and have sat in the CTS and ATS rears without any problems to speak of after asking the 5'10 and 6 ft driver if they could stop lounging, like a lazy sack, and simply move the seat up a smidge. They obliged, and off we went. I knew what to ask them to do because I had to do the same damn thing while one time riding in the rear of a 550i.

I said it before and I'll say it again, some people in regards to these cars are just playing to a crowd to see who give the most pompous, asinine response.
 
#63 ·
We can argue all day about whether we think the rear of the CTS is cramped or not, but the truth remains that Cadillac has a "chauffeur's car" in play with the identically priced to CTS, XTS.

If lugging around Lakers players once in a blue moon is your thing; why, oh pray tell, are you even considering the new "World's Ultimate Driving Machines" named CTS and ATS for this duty?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top