Bob Lutz moves to Senior Advisor Role; Will Retire at End of 2009

Will he or won't he? Bon Lutz retirement in the air

The end of an era

By Michael Gauthier
February 9, 2009 8:40 PM
Filed Under: American, Corporate/Financial, General Motors, Industry

GM's most outspoken advocate and highly regarded product guru, Bob Lutz, has announced plans to retire from his position at General Motors at the end of the year.

Lutz will leave his role as vice chairman of global product development effective April 1 and transition to the role of vice chairman and senior advisor. He will continue to provide input regarding GM's global product strategy and initiatives, until he officially retires at the end 2009. Thomas G. Stephens will take over Lutz's position as vice chairman of global product development where he will oversee the company's global quality initiatives and powertrain engineering.

Lutz joined GM in 2001 and oversaw a massive transition in the company's vehicle design and interior quality. Bland designs and bean-counter interiors were a thing of the past under his stewardship, his push for excellence led to the creation of some of GM's best vehicles in decades including the Cadillac CTS, Corvette ZR-1, Chevy Malibu, and the car that started it all, the Pontiac Solstice. More recently he has become the company's biggest advocate for the upcoming Chevrolet Volt. His 46 year career in the automotive industry also included stints at Ford, Chrysler and BMW.

Source: GM

Press Release (Click to expand)

Bob Lutz moves to Senior Advisor Role; Will Retire at End of 2009; Tom Stephens Becomes Vice Chairman - Global Product Development

DETROIT - GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner today announced that Robert A. Lutz, GM Vice Chairman - Global Product Development, will transition to a new role effective April 1, 2009 as Vice Chairman and Senior Advisor. Lutz, 76, will provide strategic input into GM's global design and key product initiatives until his retirement at the end of 2009. He will continue to report to Wagoner.

Wagoner also announced that effective April 1, 2009 the GM Board of Directors elected Thomas G. Stephens, Vice Chairman - Global Product Development, reporting to President and Chief Operating Officer Fritz Henderson. Stephens, 60, is currently Executive Vice President, Global Powertrain and Global Quality. In this new assignment, Stephens will maintain his responsibility for overseeing GM's global quality activity.

Concurrent with this appointment, GM is restructuring its global powertrain group to integrate powertrain functional activities into their respective global GM functions. Accordingly, in his new role, Stephens will have responsibility for global powertrain engineering, in addition to global design, product engineering, product planning and program management. Powertrain manufacturing will report to Gary Cowger, Group Vice President of GM Global Manufacturing and Labor Relations. Other staffs that support the GM Powertrain organization will be integrated into their respective global functions. These moves represent another important step in GM's restructuring initiative to create a leaner, more efficient organization.

"Bob Lutz was already a legendary automotive product guy when he rejoined GM in 2001," Wagoner said, "and he's added to that by leading the creation of a string of award-winning vehicles for GM during his time here. His 46 years of experience in the global automotive business have been invaluable to us. I've personally learned a great deal from Bob and have very much enjoyed the time we've worked together," Wagoner added. "I'm looking forward to Bob's continued contributions to GM for the remainder of 2009 - and I know the impact of his efforts leading GM global product development will continue for years to come.

"Tom Stephens is the perfect guy to take the reins of GM's global product development," Wagoner continued. "He's had extensive experience in virtually every aspect of our global product development activities. With his 40 years at GM, Tom has an extraordinary understanding of our products and our organization, and is highly respected worldwide. I'm confident that with Tom's passion for great products and vast knowledge of advanced propulsion, he will continue to raise the bar in executing outstanding GM cars and trucks.