DETROIT - When Ed Whitacre Jr. took over as General Motors Co.’s chief executive in December, he told reporters executives wouldn’t have long to show results. He meant it.
GM announced sweeping changes in its sales and marketing operations yesterday, splitting the functions after Whitacre combined them in December.
North American president Mark Reuss said there was dissatisfaction with GM’s results in the past three months, though there were good things like sales staying on par with the industry’s, despite GM’s shedding of four brands: Hummer, Saturn, Pontiac, and Saab.
“We have got to accelerate success in North America,’’ he said. “I don’t think we’ve moved far enough fast enough.’’
The moves are a sign of Whitacre’s impatience, but they may not be wise because it generally takes 12 to 18 months for people to become effective in their jobs, said Jeffrey Sonnenfeld.
He is senior associate dean at the Yale University School of Management.
