Unconventional Executive Hiring Bolsters Automotive Industry

Auto Observer, a leading trade publication, recently created a new series to discuss the evolution of the auto manufacturing industry and the abitlity of the big three US market leaders (GM, Ford and Chrysler) to navigate the new environment.

Central to the first edition was the role of unconventional strategic executive hiring in bringing innovation and diversity to industry leadership, "the Big Three have never taken such a huge risk on such unconventional leadership as they are now," claimed Dale Buss, Auto Observer.

In response to GM's hiring of telecommunications executive Dan Akerson into the CEO job, Walter Friedrichs from Russell Reynolds Associates commented:

“I’m absolutely impressed by that approach,” said Walter Friederichs, global leader of the automotive practice of Russell Reynolds Associates, the executive-recruitment firm. “”I’m not saying the future leaders of the auto industry will be IT guys; that would be ridiculous. But [the digital realm] is a major area for differentiation by American car companies, because American companies on a global scale have by far the biggest credibility in this area. So it’s a good move for GM to highlight this area in its leadership.”

Take a look at the full article on Auto Observer to gain a great insight into the current domestic US automotive market, and learn more about the evolving focus of automotive executive leadership through Walter Friederichs article, The Future of Automotive Leadership: From Car Guy to Mobility Leader.