The chief executive of Saab Automobile since 2000, Peter Augustsson, “has decided to leave his position at Saab and General Motors” and General Motors Europe president Carl-Peter Forster will become Saab chairman while Jan-Ake Jonsson is named managing director, GME said in a statement.
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“Peter has demonstrated a true belief in the Saab brand, and its people, over the years of his stewardship,” GM Europe chairman Fritz Henderson said in the statement.
Augustsson joined Saab as executive vice president in 1998, rising to the chief executive role in 2000, and assuming the chairman title in 2002. He plans to open a business development company in the near future.
“I felt that it was the right time for me to move on to something I’ve wanted to do for some time,” he said in the statement.
Augustsson leaves on April 1, as Forster and Jonsson take up their new roles.
“The combination of Jan-Ake leading the Saab brand, and Carl-Peter leading the board is a strong one,” said Henderson. “Combine that with the functional alignment we have in Europe for the sales and marketing, manufacturing and engineering operations, and there’s every reason to believe in the future success of Saab.”
Jonsson first joined Saab-Scania Car Division in 1973 in Nyköping Sweden, and held a variety of positions until becoming director, aftersales & services for Saab Automobile AB in Trollhättan Sweden, in 1990. Since then he has held a variety of executive positions in the engineering and sales and marketing organisations within Saab and General Motors Europe. Most recently, Jonsson was executive director of sales and marketing for the Nordic region for General Motors Europe, including Saab.
