GM Recruits Whitacre as Chairman

Out with the old and in with the new – that seems to be GM’s philosophy as it undergoes dramatic restructuring in order to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as a profitable business. Perhaps the most important of these changes is the hiring of Edward E. Whitacre, former AT&T chairman, as its own chairman.

With an obvious lack of experience in the auto industry, Whitacre may seem to be a strange choice, but the fact remains that both GM and the federal government have been trying to reinvent the auto industry and that executives from the outside would be the best leaders to do so.

GM also announced that it would purge the board of directors of those that have been around since before 2003. The directors that will leave are known for fiercely defending former Chairman and CEO G. Richard Wagner, signaling a break from the past and a new path for GM to follow. 
 

GM Mural (Image: Flickr)