Opel sales chief Rieck quits after half year in job

[ne_one]

Opel sales chief Rieck quits after half year in job
Automotive News
January 25, 2013

Opel named Duncan Aldred as the automaker's acting sales and marketing chief after Alfred Rieck quit after just over six months in the post. Aldred, 43, is chairman and managing director of Vauxhall, Opel's UK sister brand.

Opel said the change was effectively immediately. "We respect Alfred Rieck's decision and wish him the best in his future endeavors," Steve Girsky, General Motors vice chairman and Opel supervisory board chairman said in a statement today.

Rieck, 56, joined Opel as head of sales, marketing and aftersales in July last year. Previously, the Portuguese-born, multilingual executive had held management positions at Volkswagen Group, including Skoda in China and project manager of VW luxury cars. Prior to that, Rieck worked for Volvo in Sweden and in the Netherlands.

"He's thrown in the towel," one person familiar with the situation told Reuters.

Full article at link.

[megeebee]

"We respect Alfred Rieck's decision and wish him the best in his future endeavors,"

Translation: " He can S**k us."

But can anyone blame him?

[Rocket 88]

When you see smart people jumping from the ship you have to conclude the ship is in really bad shape.
Poor Opel must be quite a mess.

[germeezy1]

I am very concerned with the shuffling at GM from marketing executives, and this does not bode well for the SIGNIFICANT marketing changes needed at GM.

[mchicha]

When you see smart people jumping from the ship you have to conclude the ship is in really bad shape.
Poor Opel must be quite a mess.

Is he smart really? Or he has just been coasting all his life in a cushy job and finally came up against a real Challenge.

I am very concerned with the shuffling at GM from marketing executives, and this does not bode well for the SIGNIFICANT marketing changes needed at GM.

Its better to shuffle them until you find someone who can do the job properly,

[DOCTOR]

Is he smart really? Or he has just been coasting all his life in a cushy job and finally came up against a real Challenge.
Its better to shuffle them until you find someone who can do the job properly,

Agreed, I never rated Alfred Rieck highly in the first place, even by VW standards he was mediocre at best. Duncan Aldred is an excellent performer and as I know from personal experience is a Vauxhall man through and through, what is surprising is that he is still going to carry on running Vauxhall in the UK whilst at the same time taking over marketing for Opel, even though it is temporary judging by the current state of Opel sales and image in Europe I would have thought it needed someone on the case 24/7.

[Smaart Aas Saabr]

When you see smart people jumping from the ship you have to conclude the ship is in really bad shape.
Poor Opel must be quite a mess.

Opel has been consistently a mess since at least 1990 or so.

[jpd80]

Divided attention,
GM is running around doing deals with PSA while its own Opel-Vauxhall brand is burning to the ground.
GM can't grow volumes in a contracting European market and the sooner GM faces facts, the better.

[DirtyMoney]

Divided attention,
GM is running around doing deals with PSA while its own Opel-Vauxhall brand is burning to the ground.
GM can't grow volumes in a contracting European market and the sooner GM faces facts, the better.

Divided attention? Why do you think GM is dealing with PSA in the first place.

[jpd80]

Because they don't trust their own Opel division to develop the vehicles needed..

[richmond2000]

Is he smart really? Or he has just been coasting all his life in a cushy job and finally came up against a real Challenge.
Its better to shuffle them until you find someone who can do the job properly,

I wonder if he got tired of GM CORP undermining Opals efforts to grow and compete VS GM dumping piles on Alpha/ CADDY / and CHEVY leaving Opal to struggle
and NOT defending Opal over the whole Opal is for sale/NOT for sale thing increasing uncertainty
IMHO Opal and Buick NEED to join up to be ONE taking the "NEW" devision GLOBAL and allow better sales volumes and a wider portfolio

[cad1cts]

I'd still like for them to sell Opel in this country and of course keep Buick. Sell the Adam, Zafira, Meriva, Cascada, Astra, Corsa, Ampera, and the OPC versions of all those. Wishful thinking I know but hey I can wish and think can't I?? Lol

[Ed753]

Is he smart really? Or he has just been coasting all his life in a cushy job and finally came up against a real Challenge.

OK, lets say he is inept, who hired him?

Its better to shuffle them until you find someone who can do the job properly,

This isn't an organized shuffle, he's fleeing the building! The placement of him in that position was the shuffle part.

Divided attention,
GM is running around doing deals with PSA while its own Opel-Vauxhall brand is burning to the ground.
GM can't grow volumes in a contracting European market and the sooner GM faces facts, the better.

Not to mention the Chevrolet activity, which always seemed like a way to hedge GM's bet on Europe in case they did pull the Opel plug.

[germeezy1]

GM I am sorry to say needs to absolutely poach the highest executive from VW that they can afford. How can VW/ Audi easily run more brands than GM can seem to manage, and still achieve great success in places where GM struggles?

[cad1cts]

VW runs their company more like how GM ran theirs back in the day. Which would be a good idea for GM to do today as best they can.