General Motors Makes Senior Management Shifts

   By Tess Stynes 
 

General Motors Co. (GM) is shifting some senior managers in moves that divide up global quality and customer-experience activities, while placing responsibility for all the U.S. automaker's customer-facing centers under single leadership.

The move comes as the company continues to deal with the recall of at least 2.5 million vehicles owing to an ignition switch issue that is now linked to 30 deaths and has led to heavy criticism of the auto giant's culture and the launch of a Justice Department investigation.

"We understand that we have to earn our customers' trust and loyalty, and that every interaction matters," CEO Mary Barra said in a statement Thursday.

Ms. Alicia Boler-Davis was appointed as head of GM's Global Connected Customer unit, adding responsibility for the automaker's OnStar service and its call centers to her current customer-relations responsibilities. She has been head of GM's global quality and customer-experience activities since 2012.

Mary Chan, currently in the Global Connected Customer role, has decided to leave GM to pursue other opportunities but plans to stay on through the first quarter of next year to assist in the transition.

Grace Lieblein, currently global purchasing and supply chain executive, will succeed Ms. Boler-Davis in the global-quality position. She will be succeeded by the head of GM global powertrain division, Steve Kiefer. Dan Nicholson, director of powertrain embedded controls, was promoted to be head of the powertrain unit.

Write to Tess Stynes at [e-mail]

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