Purchasing chief Bo Andersson leaves GM

Bo Andersson, General Motors Corp.’s group vice president of global purchasing and supply chain operations, has left the company.

Andersson, who led the automaker’s global purchasing division since 2001, left GM on June 12 to “pursue other career interests,” according to a news release.

The Swedish-born Andersson, 53, was a familiar face to auto parts suppliers, and was a regular speaker at industry events such as the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association annual trade show and symposium in Hamilton, Ont.

As head of the global purchasing, Andersson was charged with reducing GM’s supply base, consolidating purchasing with a smaller number of parts makers. His group also pushed more for outsourcing work to low cost manufacturing regions.

His departure comes less than two weeks after GM entered Chapter 11 protection with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York.

“Bo has made tremendous contributions to the development of our global purchasing and supply chain strategy as we’ve globalized our product line portfolios and manufacturing footprint,” GM CEO Fritz Henderson said in a statement.

GM has yet to name Andersson’s successor, but plans to do so “in the near future”.