November 13, 2009

GM Chairman Ed Whitacre is in the driver's seat whether on TV or talking with workers. by Tim Higgins, Free Press.

"We asked ourselves as a board ... 'How can you be a global player and not play all over the globe?' "

The board, under Whitacre's direction, undid the deal crafted under Chief Executive Officer Fritz Henderson to sell Germany-based Opel. Also he said GM will not become publicly traded again as quickly as Henderson suggested. Internally, GM executives told the Free Press, Whitacre is sending a clear message through the organization that urgency and change is required.

"He's a very hands-on guy. I really question how long before he just wants to call all of the shots himself," a longtime insider said. He's spending several days a month in Detroit, and has set up an office with staff members there.

During meetings with midlevel executives, he stopped GM's Power Point culture. "I hope you didn't bring charts," Whitacre said at one such meeting to a group of executives who had, of course, arrived with a stack of charts. "I want to get to know you," Whitacre said in his Texas drawl." On a visit to GM's Arlington, Texas, assembly plant, Whitacre -- who retired as AT&T CEO and chairman -- sounded more like a car guy than a phone guy

The board, under Whitacre's direction, last week undid the deal crafted under Chief Executive Officer Fritz Henderson to sell Germany-based Opel. Then, this week, Whitacre suggested GM might not become publicly traded again as quickly as Henderson and other GM officials had suggested.

Whitacre also says a public stock offering ranks behind paying off the $6.7 billion in U.S. government debt on GM's books.

"We are getting into fighting shape. We're not there yet. We still have a long way to go, but we are definitely on our way," Whitacre.

The board undid the deal crafted under Chief Executive Officer Fritz Henderson to sell Germany-based Opel. Then, this week, Whitacre suggested GM might not become publicly traded again as quickly as Henderson and other GM officials had suggested.

Internally, GM executives told the Free Press, Whitacre is sending a clear message through the organization that urgency and change is required.

"He's a very hands-on guy. I really question how long before he just wants to call all of the shots himself," a longtime insider said. He's spending several days a month in Detroit and has set up an office with staff members there.

"The men and women behind these great vehicles want this company to succeed, and they want it to succeed badly. And they know it starts as being responsive as possible to customer demand," Whitacre.

As part of the nearly $50 billion U.S. taxpayers provided to keep GM alive, the automaker was required to change a majority of its members and Whitacre was tapped to become chairman once the automaker emerged from bankruptcy in July.

From the start, Whitacre made it clear that he wanted the latitude to make decisions at GM without having to worry about the government butting in.

"So far, they've been true to their word. They have let us run it,"