GM Canada names new president in shakeup

General Motors Co. has appointed Kevin Williams as the new president of General Motors of Canada Ltd.

Williams, who had been responsible for the auto maker's parts and service operations, will replace Arturo Elias, who will move to a position in GM's public policy centre. Mr. Elias had been president of GM Canada since the middle of 2006.

The change in the top at GM Canada comes as part of a shakeup in the auto maker's North American organization unveileed by GM North America president Mark Reuss.

“It's become extremely clear to me since taking this role that there is a better way to structure this organization,” Mr. Reuss said in a statement.

“The premise of the structure is simple – a clearer marketing focus to sell more vehicles and freeing our sales and service experts to focus on customers and dealers.”

The company also split up sales and marketing for its remaining brands, Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac and reassigned other executives.

Until recently the world's biggest automaker for decades, General Motors only survived last year after receiving billions of dollars in assistance from governments in the United States and Canada and concessions from unions.

[Source: CTV]