By Tess Stynes
General Motors Co. (GM) is shifting some senior managers in
moves that divide up global quality and customer-experience
activities, while placing responsibility for all the U.S.
automaker's customer-facing centers under single leadership.
The move comes as the company continues to deal with the recall
of at least 2.5 million vehicles owing to an ignition switch issue
that is now linked to 30 deaths and has led to heavy criticism of
the auto giant's culture and the launch of a Justice Department
investigation.
"We understand that we have to earn our customers' trust and
loyalty, and that every interaction matters," CEO Mary Barra said
in a statement Thursday.
Ms. Alicia Boler-Davis was appointed as head of GM's Global
Connected Customer unit, adding responsibility for the automaker's
OnStar service and its call centers to her current
customer-relations responsibilities. She has been head of GM's
global quality and customer-experience activities since 2012.
Mary Chan, currently in the Global Connected Customer role, has
decided to leave GM to pursue other opportunities but plans to stay
on through the first quarter of next year to assist in the
transition.
Grace Lieblein, currently global purchasing and supply chain
executive, will succeed Ms. Boler-Davis in the global-quality
position. She will be succeeded by the head of GM global powertrain
division, Steve Kiefer. Dan Nicholson, director of powertrain
embedded controls, was promoted to be head of the powertrain
unit.
Write to Tess Stynes at tess.stynes@wsj.com
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires