Tata Motors has appointed Carl-Peter Forster as group chief executive officer of the company. He will have overall responsibility for Tata Motors’ operations globally, including Jaguar Land Rover (JLR).
Forster left his previous job as CEO of General Motors Europe (GME) last year after GM’s board opted to cancel the planned sale of Opel to Magna in favour of retaining the unit. Forster had publicly backed Magna’s bid during the protracted negotiations and political controversy surrounding the German government’s apparent support for the Magna bid.
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Forster was said to be being lined up for a senior job within Tata Motors following the departure of JLR CEO David Smith in January. Loss-making JLR is expected to figure prominently in anglophile Forster’s in-tray.
Forster, 55, has 24 years of international experience in the automobile industry. Most recently he was the head of General Motors, Europe, where he looked after Opel/Vauxhall, Saab and the European activities of Chevrolet. Before joining General Motors in 2001, Forster had 13 years experience at BMW where he held various positions including that of managing director of BMW South Africa and was also on the managing board of BMW responsible for manufacturing.
Tata Sons and Tata Motors chairman Ratan Tata said: “Tata Motors expects that Mr Forster’s induction will greatly facilitate its ambition towards being a truly international company.”
A Tata spokesman later told just-auto the decision whether to appoint a new JLR CEO was still to be made.
UK: Opel’s Forster heading for JLR – report
UK: JLR CEO leaving; Forster in frame
