Though entertainment and sports superstars like Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Tiger Words have served as effective spokespersons for General Motors, the real stars of GM work behind the scenes and have engineered its renaissance and resurgence. Rolling out spotlighted some of the major players who have led the automotive colossus through its metamorphosis, during which it has produced the iconic Camaro sports car, the Cadillac CTS V-Coupe and the technological marvel, the Chevy Volt.
–terry shropshire
Ed Wilburn, VP of Design, General Motors: “This is part of a renaissance for General Motors. We have 10 design centers around the world and they are running flat out designing new products for the company. The whole team has been energized by all the changes that have been happening. They get energized, we do better work. They do better work and the whole company gets energized. With the Buick, we’re in the midst of a real renaissance. Much more spirited design, much more youthful design, a much more youthful demographic. And I tell you, people of all ages, I don’t care how old you are, like a car with a bit more flair than what we may have offered in the past. I don’t like boring designs. Designs have got to have energy. They have got to have spirit. And, frankly, our youngest designers love designing Buicks because they are bold, they have flair, they have graceful lines. So they love working on them. The Cadillac is a different luxury brand. It’s a bit more edgy. It’s got a stronger attitude about it, both on the exterior and interior. We are designing a whole new family of cars. We just introduced the Cadillac CTS V-Coupe. That’s my daily drive to work. It’s got an attitude,” said Wilburn.
Kevin Williams, President and General Manager, GM Canada: Williams’ dizzying ascendance from the youngest of 11 children two grade school-educated parents to the pinnacle of GM’s operations in Canada is the stuff of legends. This is but one reason Williams was honored with the Rainbow PUSH Trailblazer Award in 2010.
“Throughout my career, I have always worked hard to ensure that equality of opportunity exists for everyone, and I am truly honored to receive this award,” said Williams. “While I never expected to be recognized simply for doing the right thing, I hope that we can all use milestones like these to refocus, recalibrate, and continue pushing for positive change.”
Michael Burton, Director of Interior Design, Buick Enclave: Burton, who has 30 years of automotive experience tucked away in his mental database, led the design team that created the interior of the Buck Enclave, a three-row, large crossover vehicle that is receiving critical acclaim and forever altered the way the masses look at Buick.
“We had to break that stereotype [of the Buick appealing to an older demographic]. How do we do that? We have to have a vehicle that was a functional and had all the best attributes of a sports utility vehicle but had all the amenities of a car. First, we have to produce a vehicle that offers a visual experience and impassions people. It starts there. People now say ‘This is a Buick?’ They see it on the street and follow it to the dealership. They get in it and see that it is now more relevant than they ever thought it was,” said Burton.
Eric Peterson, VP of Diversity and Director, Industry Dealer Affairs, GM: Recently put in charge of diversity for GM, Peterson, 58, will also continue to serve as director, industry dealer affairs, where he manages relationships with GM’s National Dealer Council, Minority Dealer Advisory Council, and Women’s Dealer Advisory Council, as well as with the National Automobile Dealers Association.
“I am excited to be able to help strengthen GM’s ongoing commitment to diversity with our customers, employees, dealers, suppliers, and communities,” said Peterson. “My belief has always been that understanding and embracing our differences makes us stronger and helps GM win in the marketplace.”
Don Butler, Vice President of Marketing, Cadillac: Butler leads product planning, marketing and advertising for GM’s flagship luxury brand. Butler came up through the GM ranks as he earned his bachelor’s at GM Institute before attending Harvard University as a GM fellow, where he acquired his MBA. In 2005, he was appointed chairman and managing director, General Motors Egypt, where he led the achievement of all-time sales records in that country. Butler returned to the U.S. in 2007 when he was named executive director, Chevrolet Truck Marketing, guiding the Chevrolet truck brands through a critical time of restructuring in the U.S. market. In 2008, he returned to OnStar as vice president for global business where he was responsible for leading the deployment of services outside the U.S. and Canada, beginning with China.
