June 10 (Bloomberg) — Edward E. Whitacre Jr. built AT&T Inc. into the biggest U.S. provider of telephone service over a 43-year-career. By his own admission, he becomes chairman of General Motors Corp. knowing nothing about the auto industry.
The 6-foot-4-inch Texan nicknamed “Big Ed” said steering the nation’s largest automaker after bankruptcy is “a public service.” People who know him say he can meet GM’s need for the type of transformation he orchestrated at Dallas-based AT&T.
“I don’t know anything about cars,” Whitacre, 67, said yesterday in an interview after his appointment. “A business is a business, and I think I can learn about cars. I’m not that old, and I think the business principles are the same.”
Whitacre is “well qualified” for the GM post, the (US) Treasury said in a statement.
The general principles of running a large multinational corporation are the same. Comparing him to Bush going into office is stupid… Does he know how to be a CEO? Yes! Does he know how to turn around a large multinational company? Yes! He sounds qualified to me.
So if WE own part of GM why don’t WE get to vote for CEO?
#31 is correct.
At the top management levels, it’s all operations management, handling expenses, inter-corporate relations and problem solving.
In a service sector company, industry experience matters.
In a mature physical goods company, industry experience doesn’t matter.
Case in point, General Electric when run by Jack Welch back in the day … that company has thousands of products.
#20, Cow-Patty,
GM is hiding battery tech that no other auto manufacturer has?
So, are you still eating shit sandwiches?
“Well qualified” new GM chairman knows nothing about cars
This is a bad thing? The previous leaders who did know a thing or to didn’t do the company any favors.
#37 – From the article, “Toshiba will bring the new rechargeable battery to commercial products in 2006.”
Looks like a bust?
>Bush was an moron with a IQ level so low he was close to “mentally challenged” status – Obama, whether you like him or not, is very intellegent
The second part is probably true, given his father’s known mathematical abilities, but we have no solid evidence. On the other hand we know for a fact that George Bush’s IQ is in the 90-98th percentile range, ahead of John Kerry and below Al Gore. Search for Steve Sailer Bush Kerry IQ to read the details.
I say shut up and give the guy a few years.
This guy already has more money than he can expect to spend before he dies so I’m thinking he’s taking the job for the satisfaction of turning GM around.
From what little I do know about him I suspect he’s the kind of guy that gets results or you go out the door so fast and hard there isn’t a chance the door is going to hit you on the way out.
If he has to kick butts and take names he will.
Nobody at the company is his most bestest buddy anyway so he’s not all that likely to play favorites or to put up with crap.
My best wishes go with him.
Fiat’s current CEO also had no auto industry experience when he took over the failing company. He actually started his career as an accountant. Now, Fiat is taking over Chrysler. So I’d say that Whitacre’s lack of auto experience doesn’t mean much.
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/05/14/100008964/index.htm
They need to get Steve Jobs and John Ives in there. They’ll cut the models down to 5, the cars will look really cool, and no one will mind paying twice the price.
# 43 stopher2475 said, “They need to get Steve Jobs and John Ives in there. They’ll cut the models down to 5, the cars will look really cool, and no one will mind paying twice the price.”
And, GM would end up with the same market share as Apple vs. Microsoft…
#36 for the win
@42 “I say shut up and give the guy a few years.”
Heh, GM won’t be around in a few years. He’ll be writing about the experience by then.
The first person to have a million dollars salary, a CEO of US Steel, wasn’t an expert of steel manufacturing.
Running a business isn’t the same as making cars.
#19 – what’s your point. Who cares why someone like a particular type of vehicle? The point is to produce what people like and people buying what they like. It’s less and less known concept called ‘freedom’.
In the 60’s I worked for GE when they were building computers. They failed eventually. They thought if you we can build locomotives, then why not computers! Fail!
A phone company guy is supposed to know how to please consumers?!?!??!
Wasn’t a Comcast executive available?
I am surprized that Cow-Patty hasn’t weighed in with his invaluable corporate experience to tell us all what a CEO needs to know and do.
I won’t count this guy out. But the phone company missed out on the high speed internet for a long time because it stayed with old technology like Copper wire. But Chrysler the one I think that will be done sooner. I don’t think Fiat has any cars most people want in the US. But I think both Chrysler and GM are starting the race with two broken legs.
# 45 Patrick said, on June 10th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
# 43 stopher2475 said, “They need to get Steve Jobs and John Ives in there. They’ll cut the models down to 5, the cars will look really cool, and no one will mind paying twice the price.”
And, GM would end up with the same market share as Apple vs. Microsoft…
As long as you have enough people willing to overpay it doesn’t matter.
People who bring this shit up are stupid. I had a boss come in to replace another. He didn’t know ANYTHING about the products we had. He knew HOW TO RUN A COMPANY. He knew how to lead people and manage. The business improved within months of his employ. This goes on all the time all over the world. DUH.
i worked for ol’ ed once apon a time. they bought a company that bought a company that bought ours. he has an ultra conservative approach such as keep a very low profile, don’t make any waves and for god’s sakes make no mistakes such as trying new innovations. let the other guy screw up and then we will buy his ass. whats funny is he won’t know one thing about gm’s business anymore on the last day he’s there than he will from the first day. he couldn’t even have a conversation as to what the internet meant until years after the fact… he’ll hire guys to run gm. these old ceo’s love have underlings and lots of them.
#26 Mr. fusion
Wow,i’m out of my league,if it’s cause I did not post on the first story that you bring up all that stuff(nutbar with a gun… shoot
them dead or put them away regardless of who they kill)
Sad to say today if kids go into the water the cop’s know it’s the
mom or the dad(what is wrong with people!).
On GM, The most important thing to car Maker’s used to be
design,all these concept car’s they make to woo people to the trade shows …start makin em,I don’t want a car that looks like Fred’s that looks like Bobs.
Number 1 rule to destroy any company or corporation, give the jobs to unqualified persons and see the nose dive…
That very idea almost put Apple computer out of business at the helm of John Scully. Prior to almost sinking Apple, he had been a high successful executive at Pepsi. He knew nothing about computers or technology before taking the job at Apple.
The classical problem with filling any position is that the person most qualified to occupy it is the person who is leaving it.
Good reason to NOT BUY any of the “New GM” stock – if ever it goes public !!!
#32, <i>So if WE own part of GM why don’t WE get to vote for CEO?</i>
You do. He’s called POTUS.
Uh, oh. My text editor is right aligned again.
I am waiting for the On-Star messages to reflect the quality telco service I currently enjoy…
“This vehicle is no longer in service, if you feel you have reached this message in error please hang up and try again”