Last November, we reported that Carl-Peter Forster had stepped down as CEO of General Motors Europe, in protest over GM’s interruptus of the Opel/Magna deal. We also reported that Forster may take a job at Tata in India. All in due time …
Today, Financial Times reports that Tata “has named Carl-Peter Forster, the former head of General Motors’ European operations, as its chief executive officer.”
Tata says the job is the full monte. It entails “overall responsibility of Tata Motors’ operation globally.” The Financial Times could not help itself and added “including its lossmaking UK-based Jaguar Land Rover operation.”
Forster had been in play as a possible new president of Jaguar Land Rover, whose chief executive, David Smith, stepped down last month. Instead, Tata liked Foster so much that they gave him the whole company to run.
Good hire by Ratan Tata.
I wonder how much of a role India’s public perception of a white man (running a big part of TATA’s empire) will change things: like the current stresses around production of the NANO. Let’s face it, most Indians are proud they booted out the Brits, and white people are treated differently over there.
I could see the factory folk taking this the wrong way.
“most indians are proud they booted out the Brits”. I think that’s harsh to say. Yes, India did get independence, but there’s still a deep respect between the two countries.
As for white folk being treated differently, yes, but in a positive way. Do not forget that India elected Sonia Ghandi (an Italian) as their Prime Minister. Though she turned it down and gave it to Manmohan Singh.
Electing a white chap to run Tata Motors is of no consequence. What he does with Tata Motors, that’ll be what he’s judged on.
^ I think they’ll be okay with it so long as Tata gets a handle on the market share, grows and stays in the black. Shareholders are shareholders regardless of ethnicity and the color they care about first is green, (or whatever color a 1000 Rupee note is).
very smart move by Tata.
I know there’s a good “Indian Outsourcing” joke in this news, but I can’t make it happen.
Help?
When he was still fighting for the Opel-Magna deal, he did say that any jobs cut at Opel wouldn’t lead to more jobs with other German manufacturers, but rather with those overseas … it seems he proved his point.
That will do quite nicely.
Tata motors has some severe quality problems for a company with a proud name and ambitions. I don’t see them doing much on the export front in the next five years either.
That being said, Tata Motors does have a bright future for truck and bus manufacturing — which provides the bulk of the revenue.
And I don’t see why Forster is such a good hire. Opel has not been impressive lately. And what does he know about the heavy vehicle market?
I don’t know if Forster is any good or not, but as Opel’s head he didn’t have the independence to prove or disprove his ability.
Brilliant move by Tata.
This will help ensure a culture of managemental entitlement, and complete incompetence, followed by big golden parachutes and collapse.
“Indian outsourcing” joke? I got one, but there’s nothing funny about it.
There once was an Indian who built a large car/truck/bus business. One day, he lost his mind and decided to see how quickly he could ruin his life’s work.
He couldn’t find anyone in India with the requisite experience. He looked to the old colonial masters for wisdom, but all the Leyland people were dead.
He then remembered that no-one can breed failure quite like GM…
GM management would ruin the discovery of a unicorn that urinates a cure for cancer and aids, and craps platinum.