Frankfurt, Germany - January 15, 2010, Frankfurt, Germany - Opel announced that Nick Reilly, head of General Motors Europe, has been named new chief executive responsible of Opel and Vauxhall.
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Mr. Reilly was appointed president of GM Europe, effective December 4, 2009. Mr. Reilly had served as GM executive vice president and president of GM International Operations (GMIO) since July 10, 2009. He was also chairman of both the GM Daewoo Auto and Technology Company (GMDAT) and Shanghai GM (SGM).
Mr. Reilly began his GM career in 1975 with the former Detroit Diesel Allison Division in the United Kingdom. From 1978 to 1984, he held various assignments with General Motors in Belgium, the United States and Mexico. Returning to England, Mr. Reilly moved to Vauxhall Motors as general operations manager, Aftersales. He later held the post of Vauxhall supply manager and was appointed a director of the company in 1986.
In 1987, Mr. Reilly was named vice president of Operations and a member of the board of directors of GM's IBC vehicle joint venture with Isuzu in Luton, England. In 1990, Mr. Reilly was appointed director of Manufacturing at Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port plant. Four years later, Mr. Reilly he became vice president of Quality and Reliability for GM Europe in Zurich, Switzerland, and a member of the GM Europe Strategy Board.
Mr. Reilly returned to the U.K. in 1996 as chairman and managing director of Vauxhall and, in 1997, was named a GM vice president. In 2001, Mr. Reilly returned to Zurich, Switzerland, as vice president of Sales, Marketing and Aftersales for GM Europe, from where he transferred to Korea to lead GM's transition team in the formation of GM Daewoo, beginning in January 2002.
He assumed the duties of president and chief executive officer of GMDAT upon the company's founding in October 2002. Mr. Reilly was appointed GM group vice president and president of GM Asia Pacific in July 2006.
Mr. Reilly is a graduate of Cambridge University. In 2000, Mr. Reilly was appointed as a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in recognition of his contribution to the U.K. automotive industry. Mr. Reilly has advised the U.K. government in the fields of vocational training and integrated transport. Mr. Reilly received the Global CEO Grand Prize 2006 from the Korean Academy of International Business. ■