There’s no mention of the ongoing ignition switch and steering wheel recalls but General Motors announcement today of a restructuring of global vehicle engineering – including “retirement” of the current head – is surely a consequence.
GM said the restructure would “improve cross-system integration, deliver more consistent performance across vehicle programmes and address functional safety and compliance in its vehicles”.
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“A vehicle is a collection of 30,000 individual parts. Fully integrating those parts into cohesive systems with industry-leading quality and safety is key in this customer-driven business,” said Mark Reuss, who heads the automaker’s product development, purchasing and supply.
Global vehicle engineering is being split into two new organisations: global product integrity and global vehicle components and subsystems.
The product integrity side, effective immediately, “will build on specific actions GM has taken in recent years to lead the industry in vehicle dynamics including ride and handling, steering and braking. GM is applying the same approach to overall quality and safety performance and ensure the highest levels of execution across all its vehicles”.
Ken Morris, currently head of global chassis engineering, is now vice president, global product integrity, a new role responsible for vehicle, powertrain and electrical systems engineering as well as vehicle performance, industrial engineering and validation. It also includes the recently formed global vehicle safety organisation headed by Jeff Boyer who is overseeing the addition of 35 product investigators. Supplier quality is also now part of product integrity.
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By GlobalDataKen Kelzer, currently head of European powertrain engineering, is the new chief of components and subsystems, running engineering operations, components development, advanced vehicle development and other engineering business.
GM said product integrity would “use advanced analysis tools and processes to flag and prevent issues during vehicle development, while also mining field data to react quickly to safety and product quality issues customers may experience”, a clear reference to the slow process identifying the ignition switch fault in particular, notifying relevant authorities and beginning recalls.
John Calabrese, current head of global vehicle engineering, will retire after more than 33 years with GM. He’ll remain to the end of August to assist with the transition.
