Quote:
Originally Posted by MikesZ
But yet those successful products (Camaro, LaCrosse, Equinox, Terrain, Cadillac SRX) got launched under Fritz Henderson...amid bankruptcy proceedings and getting wheels/momentum on Operation Garbage Dump (Hummer, Saab).
Everyone wants to gouge Henderson's eyes out, castrate him, and have him tarred/feathered and burned at the stake for Opel.
Well, let's look at that:
Opel, a GM subsidiary located in Germany, an EU member country...you know, the European Union...that abomination of a socio/political/economic - sorry we can't make a decision on that right now because we'll be on "holidays" for the next six weeks and while we're gone don't even think about firing any cafe workers because you cannot by law even when they call in sick every other day and if you're an EU member who only has a 200% Debt/GDP ratio, well then by all means break out the Brie and red wine because you're doing damn good by EU economic standards - system.
Gee Fritz, I can't imagine how you ever could have gotten bogged-down in that process. 
P.S. - Sorry we pissed all over your 20+ years of hard work at GM. Nothing personal, its just business (insert cotton between lower cheek and gum).
P.P.S. - And as it turns out, looks like Opel is more of an asset than a liability. |
My point is that it doesn't matter that Henderson was at the helm when cars like the LaCrosse were launched. All the work, even the planned launch date, was done before he was CEO. Once a project has 3 years of work behind it, it has so much momentum that it doesn't really matter who is in charge during the last few months. Nothing will change, and the only influence the CEO might have is in the advertising campaign. Likewise, I hate seeing these new cars being labelled as products from the 'new GM'. To me, the car would have to be designed, approved, engineered, tested,
and built after bankruptcy in order to deserve that moniker. If so, we won't be seeing anything from the new GM until maybe 2013.
This is just like all the problems that lead to the bankruptcy were around before even Wagoner took the job of CEO. Wagoner could have done more to ward off disaster, but thats another issue all together. Point is, it takes years to see the real effect that someone has in a company like GM. Fritz barely had enough time as CEO to set anything in motion.
As for the Saab, Opel, Hummer, and Saturn deals ... I never blamed him or praised him for his work there.