SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549-1004
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report
(Date of earliest event reported) October 5, 1998
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GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION
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(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
STATE OF DELAWARE 1-143 38-0572515
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(State or other jurisdiction (Commission File Number) (I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation) Identification No.)
100 Renaissance Center, Detroit, Michigan 48243-7301
3044 West Grand Boulevard, Detroit, Michigan 48202-3091
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(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code (313)-556-5000
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ITEM 5. OTHER EVENTS
On October 6, 1998, General Motors Corporation (GM) issued a news
release regarding the announcement that GM is streamlining it's global
automotive business and has named G. Richard Wagoner, Jr., President and Chief
Operating Officer. The news release was as follows:
GENERAL MOTORS STREAMLINES GLOBAL AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESS
WAGONER NAMED PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
DETROIT -- General Motors today announced the creation of a single,
unified global automotive organization designed to enable the company to respond
rapidly and decisively to local opportunities in all markets around the world by
fully leveraging the corporation's global capabilities.
The new GM Automotive Operations will be led by G. Richard Wagoner,
Jr., who was elected Monday president and chief operating officer of the
corporation by the General Motors Board of Directors. Wagoner also will become a
member of the board. John F. Smith, Jr., will continue to serve as chairman and
chief executive officer. Harry J. Pearce will continue in his role as vice
chairman.
The new global organization will comprise four regions and will be
supported by a consolidated GM Automotive Strategy Board, which takes the place
of several current boards, councils and alliances.
"Intense competition, diverse global markets and the speed with which
the world is changing politically, economically and technologically call for a
faster and leaner General Motors," Smith said. "We are moving swiftly to a
delayered and simplified automotive structure -- one that more clearly
identifies leadership and accountability for performance."
According to Smith, globalization and consolidation have been
long-stated company business objectives. However, to ensure the success of the
new organization, General Motors first had to develop a set of common processes
between its North American Operations (NAO) and its International Operations
(IO).
"By creating common business processes and systems, as well as common
vehicle platforms and components, we have laid the foundation for NAO and IO to
become one General Motors organization," Wagoner said. "During the past four
years, the two operations have used these processes and systems to meld the
goals and objectives of two very diverse organizations and cultures into a
cohesive business plan."
According to Smith, formation of the new GM Automotive Operations is a
major step in a series of corporate streamlining measures that began in 1992
when NAO was established and the purchasing function was consolidated on a
worldwide basis.
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"The pace of simplifying our automotive operations and leveraging our
resources more efficiently has advanced this year with our decision to establish
Delphi Automotive Systems as a separate company and to consolidate our
traditional five North American car and truck operations into a single, stronger
and more responsive field sales force," Smith said. "The new GM Automotive
Operations is the culmination of our efforts to become a fast and lean global
force that will reward innovation and customer responsiveness."
Louis R. Hughes, who formerly served as executive vice president and
president of GM's International Operations, will now report to Smith in the
newly created role of executive vice president of New Business Strategies.
"Both Rick and Lou, as well as the entire leadership team, have been
instrumental in turning General Motors around from the difficult period of the
late 80s and early 90s," Smith said. "Their commitment, talent and experience
will continue to play a critical role in building upon our momentum we have
established since 1992."
The new GM Automotive Operations is a matrixed organization that will
consist of four regions (Asia/Pacific, Europe, North America and Latin
America/Africa/Mid-East), each led by a region president. Each region president
will have responsibility for all operations in that area, with a particular
emphasis on satisfying the needs and tastes of customers in the respective
region.
The region presidents together with leaders of major functions such as
Design & Engineering will constitute the GM Automotive Strategy Board, which
will have the ultimate responsibility for GM's automotive business, under the
direction of Wagoner, as GM's president.
The GM Automotive Strategy Board will encompass the responsibilities of
a number of other forums, which will be discontinued. Those forums include
General Motors International Operations, International Strategy Board, Global
Vehicle Strategy Team, Global Truck Alliance, Global Car Alliance, and the
Global Powertrain Alliance. The President's Council also will be discontinued.
"This new streamlined organization allows us to respond quickly to the
needs of customers in a specific region, while at the same time leveraging the
experience, talent and diversity of our people worldwide and taking better
advantage of leveraging our economies of scale and scope," Wagoner said.
The GM Board of Directors also approved the following elections and
appointments to be effective immediately:
Ronald L. Zarrella was elected an executive vice president of General
Motors and president of GM North America. He and the other three regional
presidents will report to Wagoner.
Other regional presidents include Michael J. Burns, GM Europe; Richard
C. Nerod, GM Latin America, Africa and Mid-East, and Rudy A. Schlais, Jr., GM
Asia/Pacific.
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Donald E. Hackworth was elected a senior vice president and continues
to head GM North America Car Group and North American Manufacturing and will
serve as a global process leader for manufacturing.
Roy S. Roberts was elected vice president and group executive in charge
of the North American Vehicle Sales, Service and Marketing (VSSM) organization.
Darwin E. Clark, a GM vice president, was appointed vice president and
general manager, Field Sales, Service and Parts for North American VSSM.
Kathleen S. Barclay was elected a GM vice president in charge of Global
Human Resources and GM University.
Richard G. "Skip" LeFauve, senior vice president of Global Human
Resources and president of the GM University will be retiring on Jan. 1, 1999.
During his 41 years of service, LeFauve distinguished himself as leader and
innovator. Among his many achievements, his most notable, perhaps, is his
leadership from 1986 to 1997 of Saturn, which is hailed as one of the most
innovative and successful new brands in the history of the automotive industry.
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SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION
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(Registrant)
Date October 6, 1998
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By
s/Peter R. Bible
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(Peter R. Bible,
Chief Accounting Officer)
