Opel board said to appoint Neumann as CEO at Jan. 31 meeting

[ne_one]

Opel board said to appoint Neumann as CEO at Jan. 31 meeting
Automotive News
January 23, 2012
by Michael Knauer

Opel's supervisory board will likely confirm the appointment of Volkswagen executive, Karl-Thomas Neumann, as its new CEO at a meeting on Jan. 31, a member of the board told Automobilewoche, a sister publication of Automotive News Europe.

Neumann, VW's 51-year-old former China chief, is expected to take over the role from interim CEO Thomas Sedran on March 1 after VW signaled its willingness to release him early from his current contract.

Neumann was head of VW's China operations until last June when he was replaced by VW veteran Jochem Heizmann. He was CEO of German supplier Continental before he rejoined VW in 2009. The electronics engineer had spent a large part of his early career at VW.

Full article at link.

[DOCTOR]

Opel board said to appoint Neumann as CEO at Jan. 31 meeting
Automotive News
January 23, 2012
by Michael Knauer

Opel's supervisory board will likely confirm the appointment of Volkswagen executive, Karl-Thomas Neumann, as its new CEO at a meeting on Jan. 31, a member of the board told Automobilewoche, a sister publication of Automotive News Europe.

Neumann, VW's 51-year-old former China chief, is expected to take over the role from interim CEO Thomas Sedran on March 1 after VW signaled its willingness to release him early from his current contract.

Neumann was head of VW's China operations until last June when he was replaced by VW veteran Jochem Heizmann. He was CEO of German supplier Continental before he rejoined VW in 2009. The electronics engineer had spent a large part of his early career at VW.

Full article at link.

I realise Opel probably haven't got a lot of choice, there can't have been many applicants for the post lets face it, but I am not sure that Neumann has the "metal" for the job (or should I say IG Metal!!) but he does have an inside knowledge of the way VW works which will be useful.

[EcoBustier69]

Were in good hands with Alfred E. Neumann!

[emh]

I realise Opel probably haven't got a lot of choice, there can't have been many applicants for the post lets face it, but I am not sure that Neumann has the "metal" for the job (or should I say IG Metal!!) but he does have an inside knowledge of the way VW works which will be useful.

It'll be interesting to see how this pans out. On one hand, it doesn't seem to be a bad hire -- Neumann's been the CEO of two much larger operations before (Continental and VW China). On the other hand, he had to leave each of those positions in under 2 years.

He must have demonstrated some leadership ability at VW to be handed over the China operation. And China is much, much more important to VW than Opel is to GM. Maybe he will do better at a smaller organization like Opel. But then again, Opel probably is facing more existential challenges than either of his previous gigs. So who knows...

[RedVee8]

Were in good hands with Alfred E. Neumann!

What? Him worry?

[Harry_Dunne]

The fact that this man's title is "CEO" of Opel describes the problem with this whole situation. GM should be able to treat GME like another region within GM, with this man's role equivalent to Mr. Reuss' in NA. But they have to give some appearance of Opel somehow being a separate company, and there lies the foundation for battles with the parent. It will never make sense until GME is another unit of GM, and if the top leadership of GM can't lay a plan for that to be the norm in the future, nothing is going to change (for the better, anyway).

[RedVee8]

Do you mean when GME & GMNA are both divisions of GM?