Wayne Brannon New Head of Chevrolet Europe

* Hardy Spranger to retire effective January 1, 2006

Zurich. Effective January 1, 2006, Erhard "Hardy" L. Spranger (62), Executive Director Chevrolet Europe, will retire from General Motors Europe, after a long and successful career with the company.

Hardy will be succeeded by Wayne Brannon (50), currently Regional Director Sales and Marketing, GM Latin America and Africa (LAAM). Wayne will be based in Zurich and report to Jonathan Browning, Vice President Sales, Marketing & Aftersales, GM Europe.

Wayne returns to Zürich where he worked as Director, Sales & Marketing, for GM's African operations from 1994 to 1996. Since then, he has held various senior Sales & Marketing positions with GM do Brazil and GM's other Latin American operations. Wayne holds an MBA from Michigan State University. He is looking forward to his new assignment: "Chevrolet is GM's key volume brand in Latin America and I am confident the experience I gained with the brand there will be helpful in leading the team that Hardy has built up so successfully in Europe."

In his current role Hardy was instrumental in successfully establishing GM Daewoo Europe and then leading the brand transition to Chevrolet that was completed at the beginning of this year. Spranger said: "The past three and a half years have been among the most challenging and rewarding in my GM career. I am proud of what the Chevrolet team has already achieved and I am sure Wayne is the right man to take the brand to a new level of success."

In a career with GM that spans over 40 years, Hardy has worked in senior roles for GM in Turkey, Asia Pacific, Spain, Portugal and Austria - to name just a few. Hardy plans to retire with his wife, Maria Luisa, to Vancouver in Canada.

"We thank Hardy for 40 years of enthusiasm and great work during his various senior leadership assignments around the world," said Jonathan Browning, GM Europe Vice President Sales, Marketing & Aftersales. "Hardy has been the driving force behind the launch of a new range of Chevrolet cars in Europe in cooperation with GM Daewoo. We wish Wayne every success continuing the Chevrolet growth story."