Former Holden boss Alan Batey promoted

FORMER GM Holden chairman and managing director Alan Batey has been promoted to a newly created top sales and marketing role in General Motors North America – on the day that GM announced the born-again Holden Commodore export program to the US and Canada.

And in another delicious twist for Holden fans, Mr Batey, 49, will report directly to another GM Holden boss Mark Reuss, who is GM North America president.

The two men both championed the Holden-designed and engineered Commodore for the US and Canada, where it will now be given another chance as the Chevrolet SS performance car and NASCAR flag carrier for Chevrolet from 2013 (see separate story).

Mr Reuss and Mr Batey will now work hand in glove as GM’s supremos on its home patch, tasked with continuing the recovery of GM from its chapter 11 bankruptcy in the global financial crisis.

Mr Batey, an Englishman who started his career with Vauxhall in Britain, most recently has been vice-president of Chevrolet sales and service, but now has been elevated to the new position of GM vice-president US sales and service, meaning he will oversee all GM brands, including Buick, Cadillac and GMC, as well as Chevrolet.

The appointment was announced by Mr Reuss (left), who was Mr Batey’s predecessor at the helm of Holden just as the GFC hit.

“GM is playing offense with an aggressive rollout of new cars, trucks and crossovers,” Mr Reuss said.

“Strengthening our US sales team will help take full advantage of these growth opportunities and continue delivering solid improvements in customer satisfaction, dealer profitability and resale value.” Mr Batey became Holden chairman and managing director in September 2009, being elevated from the role of executive director of sales, marketing and aftersales – a position for which he joined Holden in January 2006, following a GM career dating back to 1979, when he joined Vauxhall Motors in the UK as an apprentice mechanic.

Before becoming a Holden board member, Mr Batey was vice-president of commercial operations (sales, marketing and aftersales) for GM Daewoo, a position he assumed in 2002 when the new business was formed.

Mr Batey was promoted to his US Chevrolet role in March 2010, and now will be responsible for GM’s aggressive rollout of all four GM brands’ new-look model ranges in North America.

By the end of this year, GM will have all-new or freshened cars and SUVs in segments that represent 60 per cent of the US light-vehicle market.

The company says that, by the end of 2013, 70 per cent of GM’s North American portfolio will be new or freshened vehicles compared with 2011.

Mr Batey said that, while GM was aggressively investing in new products, its dealer chain was likewise investing heavily in facilities.

“We’re confident that this combination will make our customers’ dealership experience the best in the industry,” he said.

Mr Batey will be succeeded as US vice-president of Chevrolet sales and service by Don Johnson, 55, the current US sales operations vice-president.