Rattner leaving Obama’s autos task force; Bloom to take his spot

Ron Bloom, a former United Steelworkers union adviser and Lazard Ltd. vice president, will take over the leadership role in advising the Obama administration’s auto task force, the statement said.

Rattner is stepping down three days after the new GM formed with majority federal ownership, and in the month following the creation of Chrysler under government guidance. Rattner was named in February to help lead the federal process.

“What the task force did was an amazing feat in the time frame,’’ said Dennis Virag, the president of the Automotive Consulting Group Inc. in Ann Arbor, Mich.

“His job was to take them in and out of bankruptcy as quickly as possible. He accomplished that job.’’

Rattner, cofounder of private equity firm Quadrangle Group LLC, helped form a new GM from bankruptcy ahead of the 60 to 90 days the government had estimated.

Rattner “has decided to transition back to private life and his family in New York City,’’ Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said in a statement. “I hope that he takes another opportunity to bring his unique skills to government service in the future.’’

Rattner has no plans to return to Quadrangle, according to a person familiar with his plans. Quadrangle named Joshua Steiner and Michael Huber to run the firm after Rattner said he’d leave for the Treasury post.

A former New York Times reporter, Rattner started Morgan Stanley’s media acquisitions group in 1984.

He moved to what was then Lazard Freres & Co. in 1989.

Rattner, along with Lazard executives Peter Ezersky, Steiner, and David Tanner, started Quadrangle in 2000.