Jimmy D. McDonald
Executive Director, Worldwide Purchasing
General Motors Service and Parts Operations
Jim McDonald was appointed executive director of Purchasing for GM Service and Parts Operations (SPO), effective Aug. 1, 2000. McDonald joined SPO from GM Asia Pacific where he was director of chemical purchasing in Singapore since January 1999.
McDonald began his GM career in 1979 as a college co-op student at the former Pontiac Motor Division (now Pontiac-GMC Division) in materials management in Pontiac, Mich. Following assignments in systems (1983) and program readiness there, he was named a manufacturing supervisor at the former Pontiac Engine operations (now GM Powertrain) in 1987.
In 1988, McDonald moved to the former Chevrolet-Pontiac-GM of Canada (C-P-C) group in Warren, Mich., as a senior buyer in Purchasing. Three years later, he was named the commodity manager at the former GM Purchasing (now Worldwide Purchasing) in Detroit. McDonald moved to Cadillac Motor Car Division as purchasing manager in 1992. In 1995, he returned to Worldwide Purchasing in Warren as commodity manager-chemical and was named director of Supplier Development there in 1996.
McDonald transferred to Delphi Asia Pacific, Singapore in 1997, as the director of Purchasing/Production Control and Logistics. He remained in that position until he was appointed director of chemical purchasing.
A native of Pontiac, McDonald earned a bachelor of science degree in business management from Oakland University in Rochester, Mich., in 1983. He also completed the executive development program at Northwestern University (Evanston, Ill.) in 1996.