GM Exec. Changes

Lutz, Cowger to Focus Full-Time on Global Assignments;
                  Wagoner Assumes Leadership of GM North America

    DETROIT, April 4 -- General Motors Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner announced 
a series of senior leadership changes today as the next step in transforming 
GM into a globally integrated business.
    Vice Chairman Bob Lutz and Group Vice President Gary Cowger will focus 
full-time on their global responsibilities:  Lutz on leading GM's global 
product development activities, and Cowger on global manufacturing/labor.  
    Lutz and Cowger will relinquish their current roles at GM North America, 
and Wagoner will assume leadership of GMNA, while retaining his current 
positions. 
    'Given the challenges we face in North America, it makes sense for me to 
assume control of GMNA's day-to-day operations and shorten the lines of 
communication and decision-making,' Wagoner said. 
    'At the same time, as we look at our global business, it's clear that the 
two areas most critical to our future success are achieving excellence in 
every product we develop, and doing it with the most competitive manufacturing 
system.  And Bob and Gary are our two executives most experienced and skilled 
in these key areas.'
    Wagoner noted that GM has operated much of its business on a global basis 
for several years now and has made considerable progress in better utilizing 
its global resources and capabilities to serve regional and local markets more 
effectively. 
    'We've come very far on the long journey from our traditional standalone 
business model for each major national market, and more recently for each of 
our four regions.  Now's the right time to accelerate the global integration 
of two of our most important functions, product development and 
manufacturing/labor,' he said.
    Today's move follows last month's announcement that GM had appointed 
several executives to global positions in product development.  
    'With the ongoing globalization of GM's product development organization, 
and the implementation of our global architecture strategy, Bob felt he needed 
to devote his efforts to product development full-time, and I agreed,' Wagoner 
said.  'I'll continue to value his business advice and support, but Bob's 
legacy at GM will be in our future cars and trucks.  It makes sense for him to 
devote his full energies to that critical task.'
    Wagoner noted that GM has made tremendous progress in implementing its 
Global Manufacturing System around the world, including industry-leading 
health and safety performance, higher quality and productivity.  
    'Now, the next stage is to enhance our manufacturing flexibility globally 
and more effectively integrate our global manufacturing capacity.  It's 
logical to have Gary focus his full efforts on that,' he said.  'He has worked 
effectively around the world, and understands the opportunities and challenges 
of leveraging our manufacturing capabilities. 
    'In manufacturing, one of our biggest challenges is our lack of cost-
competitiveness in the United States, which is due to our legacy costs, 
especially the ever-increasing burden of high health-care expenses,' Wagoner 
said.  'Addressing this challenge in a fair and equitable way requires close 
work with our union partners, in addition to our ongoing work with government 
and health-care providers.  With his vast experience in labor relations, Gary 
is the ideal person to do this.'
    'I look forward to working closely with an energized, aggressive GMNA 
team, including several recently appointed new leaders, to move faster on the 
path toward re-establishing profitability in GM's largest regional business 
unit,' Wagoner said.
    'I feel confident today's moves will accelerate GM's transition to a 
globally integrated automotive business that takes full advantage of our 
global expertise and delivers the kind of products that our customers expect 
in each local market, as well as the business results that our shareholders 
deserve.' 
    General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been 
the global industry sales leader since 1931.  Founded in 1908, GM today 
employs about 324,000 people around the world.  It has manufacturing 
operations in 32 countries and its vehicles are sold in 200 countries.  In 
2004, GM sold nearly 9 million cars and trucks globally, up 4 percent and the 
second-highest total in the company's history.  GM's global headquarters are 
at the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit.

SOURCE  General Motors Corporation
    -0-                             04/04/2005 P
    /NOTE TO EDITORS:  For additional media information, visit 
http://media.gm.com ./
    /CONTACT:  Tom Kowaleski, Vice President, GM Communications, 
[phone], [e-mail] , or Brian Akre, Director, Executive 
Communications & Corporate News Relations, [phone], mobile: 
[phone], [e-mail] , both of General Motors Corporation/
    /Web site:  http://media.gm.com 
                http://www.gm.com /
    (GM)



 END