 | |
  | |
| 2004-02-11 | |
 | Roger JohanssonMember of the Board Adam Opel AGResponsible for PurchasingVice President Purchasing GM Europe |
 | |
February 11, 2004
Zurich / Rüsselsheim. Roger Johansson (38) has been named General Motors Europe Vice President, Purchasing, and Management Board member in charge of Purchasing at Adam Opel AG, effective February 1, 2004. He succeeds Robert E. ("Bob") Socia who has been named Managing Director, GM South Africa. In addition to these new duties, Johansson will continue in his current capacity as General Executive Director, Europe, at GM-FIAT Worldwide Purchasing (“GFWWP”), the 50/50 joint venture between GM and Fiat established in 2001. It combines all former Purchasing activities of GM and Fiat in both Europe and Latin America. Johansson joined Saab Automobile AB in Trollhättan, Sweden, in 1991 as a Buyer in the company’s Purchasing department. He subsequently held Purchasing management positions of increasing responsibility at Adam Opel AG in Germany, Saab in Sweden, and GFWWP in Turin, Italy, where he headed up that company’s Italian unit and at the same time was responsible for Purchasing of Metallic parts across GFWWP Europe. He was named to his current position in March 2002. Bob Socia’s leadership was instrumental in building up the Purchasing Joint Venture between GM and Fiat in a very short time frame. Building one team, with employees coming from two different corporate cultures, and at the same time providing significant business benefits for the parent companies, was a major task. Beyond his role at GFWWP, Socia also played a key role in GM’s alliance with Fiat overall. A successor to Socia in his capacity as Chairman of GFWWP will be announced at a later stage. | |
| |