GM restructures engineering staff

In response to a massive safety recall, General Motors is restructuring its Global Vehicle Engineering organization.

In a press release, the auto giant said the move should “improve cross-system integration, deliver more consistent performance across vehicle programs and address functional safety and compliance” in its vehicles.

GM said it is making the changes after the recall in February of 2.6 million older model cars for defective ignition switches. The company has tied the defect to 13 deaths. GM and the government are investigating why it took the company more than a decade to recall the cars after engineers first learned of problems with the switches.

With the restructuring, the engineering organization will become two new organizations: Global Product Integrity and Global Vehicle Components and Subsystems.

The Global Product Integrity organization, which is effective immediately, will build on GM’s strategies in vehicle dynamics, including ride and handling, steering and braking. Ken Morris, currently executive director, Global Chassis Engineering, has been named vice-president, Global Product Integrity. The newly-created role and organization will include vehicle, powertrain and electrical systems engineering as well as vehicle performance, industrial engineering and validation.

The Global Product Integrity organization will use advanced analysis tools and processes to flag and prevent issues during vehicle development, while also mining field data to react quickly to safety and product quality issues customers may experience.

It also includes the recently formed Global Vehicle Safety organization led by Jeff Boyer, who is overseeing the addition of 35 product investigators. The Supplier Quality division will now become part of the new Global Product Integrity organization.

Ken Kelzer, currently vice-president, GM Europe Powertrain Engineering, has been named vice-president, Global Vehicle Components and Subsystems. His new role and organization includes engineering operations, components development, advanced vehicle development and other engineering business initiatives.

With the restructuring, John Calabrese, vice president of Global Vehicle Engineering, has elected to retire after more than 33 years with GM.