Jon Lauckner Named GM VP to Lead Vehicle Programs Globally

DETROIT, May 10, 2005; Jon Lauckner has been named GM vice president of global program management. This new position, reporting to Bob Lutz, vice chairman of product development, is a key part of the company's global product development initiative.

Lauckner, 47, most recently was global vehicle line executive for GM's global midsize vehicles, based in Russelsheim, Germany. He also oversaw the GM Europe regional activities for that product line.

His appointment is effective immediately. He will be based in Detroit.

"Jon has demonstrated a passion for great cars, and has consistently delivered them over the years through his various responsibilities in Europe, South America and the United States," Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner said in announcing the appointment today. "He's the right person for this important new global vice president position."

Future GM vehicles are being developed by a network of global and regional vehicle development teams. The global and regional vehicle line executives responsible for each vehicle program will report to Lauckner, and he will be responsible for the program management activities within the regional planning organizations. His replacement for the global midsize vehicle program will be named soon.

For the past five years, Lauckner has held several leadership positions in GM Europe, based at Opel headquarters. He joined GM in 1979 as an engineer at Buick, and held several positions there before joining the GM product planning staff in 1988. In 1990, Lauckner was appointed director of market and business analysis for GM's Asia Pacific and Latin America regions. He joined GM do Brasil in 1992 as general director of planning, where he was responsible for managing the regional VLE process for GM Latin America, Africa and Middle East. In 2000, Lauckner joined GM Europe as lead vehicle line executive for small cars.

Lauckner has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan, and was a Sloan Fellow at Stanford University, where he earned his masters of science in management.