General Motors names new president in management shakeup

Jan. 4 (UPI) -- General Motors has named Mark Reuss as the new company president, in a move spurred by a management shakeup from CEO Mary Barra.

The automaker announced Reuss as president Thursday. Reuss replaces Dan Ammann, who will continue to lead GM's autonomous vehicle subsidy, Cruise Automation.

"I am very proud to have spent my entire career at General Motors, and to now take on this new role is truly a great honor," Reuss said in a statement. "With our current lineup of outstanding cars, trucks and crossovers around the world, I'm looking forward to keeping our momentum going at full speed."

Reuss, who was once considered for the CEO position, will retain some of his duties as product development chief. The change indicates that two long-time GM executives, Barra and Reuss, are now in charge of the company's direction.

Reuss was most recently in charge of the Cadillac division and global portfolio planning. He also was head of GM's Holden division, GM's now-shuttered Australian subsidiary. Earlier, he created a performance division within the company and was responsible for development of new Chevrolet Camaro and Corvette models. He began his career with the automaker as an intern in 1983.

Reuss' father Lloyd was GM president in the 1990s before he was removed in the first of several investor-led revolts. The company was burdened with debt at the time and later entered a carefully managed bankruptcy, with the aid of federal bailout funding, in 2010.