Detroit Free Press - The executive in charge of General Motors' growing China operations has been placed in charge of GM's global manufacturing, a role that includes oversight of vehicle production in the automaker's troubled European unit.
Tim Lee was named GM vice president of global manufacturing, and Diana Tremblay, previously the global chief manufacturing officer, was named vice president of manufacturing in North America, a position Lee held before he became president of international operations in 2009.
"His extensive manufacturing experience, coupled with this alignment, will help deliver great, quality vehicles that keep pace with GM's global growth," CEO Dan Akerson said in a statement.
Lee will continue to serve as president of GM international operations, which represents 40% of the company's vehicle production, including in China and Russia. He reports to Akerson; Tremblay will report to Lee.
Lee will have to juggle responsibility for GM's vast network of 158 production facilities in 30 countries.
GM Europe's vice president of manufacturing, Peter Thom, will continue to serve in that role and will report to Lee, GM spokeswoman Katie McBride said in an e-mail.
The change came a few days after Akerson reassigned GM Europe leader Karl-Friedrich Stracke and made GM Vice Chairman Stephen Girsky interim head of European operations, in which GM has lost more than $12 billion over the last 12 years.
In China, where Lee has guided GM's strategy, the automaker's sales continue to surge despite concerns about a reduced pace of economic growth.
