General Motors Chairman Ed Whitacre Jr. says he is putting engineering chief Mark Reuss in charge of GM's North American operations in a management shakeup.
Whitacre, in an address to employees Friday, also says he is recombining sales and marketing, placing them under Susan Docherty. She became head of sales when former CEO Fritz Henderson separated sales and marketing.
Reuss recently was named head of engineering, and before that ran the company's Holden operations in Australia.
Whitacre says Bob Lutz, who had been in charge of marketing, will remain a vice chairman and be an adviser on global product development. He also will help Whitacre learn about the business.
Lutz, currently running the company's marketing efforts, will have a role more closely involved with designing and dreaming up new products, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The company's interim CEO, Ed Whitacre, drew up the blueprint for the new management in four hours, according to the paper.
There are no major firings expected immediately under the plan, which is a reflection of Whitacre's desire to have younger and stronger leaders in prominent roles at GM, the Wall Street Journal said.
Whitacre took over as CEO of GM Tuesday, after the abrupt resignation of Fritz Henderson.