New GM Chairman

[Gistok]

The name Edward Whitacre Jr. may not be familiar to many folks in Michigan, unless you work[[ed) for SBC or AT&T.

Ed Whitacre was the Chairman of SBC Corp., which was one of the 7 Baby Bells. Southwestern Bell Corp. was the original name back in 1984 at the breakup of AT&T into a new leaner AT&T and 7 regional Bell companies.

At some point they shortened it to SBC, and moved their HQ from St. Louis to San Antonio [[literally from the NE part of their home turf to the SW part of it).

In 1990 Ed Whitacre Jr. became SBC chairman, and started on an empire building program that nearly rebuilt the old AT&T [[the parent and 4 of 7 baby Bells).

In the 1990's he orchestrated the takeover of San Francisco based Pacific Telesis [[formerly PacBell), then came the takeover of Chicago based Ameritech in 1998 and a few years ago did a merger with Bell South.

Then came the takeover of parent AT&T with SBC using the AT&T Corporate name, but the new San Antonio based company is still basically Whitacre's.

Two years ago [[2007) he retired at the mandatory age of 65.

Besides what I have already mentioned, the only thing I know about this "empire builder" is that in 1998, after the takeover of Ameritech, he had a face-to-face meeting with then Michigan governor John Engler. From reports in the media, it was a rather combative meeting, that ended rather abruptly.

Besides that, I don't know much about Texan Edward Whitacre Jr.... the new Chairman of the Board of General Motors....

[irish_mafia]

He's a Texan, so he may be able to get financing from Comerica

[lilpup]

Some have tried to draw parallels between Whitacre's appointment at GM and Alan Mulally's at Ford since neither were "car guys" but Mulally had manufacturing experience, coming from Boeing, and Whitacre has none - that's what I think is the most concerning about Whitacre.

[Lorax]

Seems a disasterous choice. We don't need another souped up bean counter running the show.

What GM needs is innovation, and most of all STYLING.

Unless this guy hires designers to conceive from start to finish new models without input from other stylists, as was the case in the 50's & 60's, then GM hasn't got a prayer.

We need more Harley Earl, Virgil Exner, Elwood Engle, Raymond Loewy, less design by committee, thank you.

[MIRepublic]

The corporate world sure is incestuous. Until he does something, the best he's going to get from me is a "meh".

[rid0617]

Pretty much responsible for AT&T stagnating. Here is a comment forum about him

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/E...-Run-GM-102859

[Cincinnati_Kid]

Just as they do in Sports, Corporate America hires some re-tread to run they're Companies instead of hiring young innovative Executives who might actually make a difference. They'll probably pay him a sh-t-load of money to steer a Ship that already has sunk. "It's the American way"

[bigtreble]

"Whitacre is a board member of Exxon Mobile"
"His only immediately known connection to GM is the Cadillac he has been known to drive"
http://www.informationweek.com/news/...leID=217800381

“I don’t know anything about cars,” Whitacre, 67, said yesterday in an interview after his appointment. “A business is a business, and I think I can learn about cars. I’m not that old, and I think the business principles are the same.”
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...d=a.quj9vK5PhI