GM EVP of global manufacturing and sustainability Gerald Johnson to retire after 44 years
General Motors recently announced the retirement of its long-serving executive vice president of global manufacturing and sustainability, Gerald Johnson, after a 44-year tenure. Jens Peter Clausen, an industrial leader with expertise in global manufacturing, product engineering, and scaling operations, is replacing him as the new executive VP. GM also announced that Mike Abbott, executive VP of software and services, will be stepping down due to health reasons.
“Gerald’s leadership, vision, and relentless pursuit of excellence in manufacturing have left an indelible mark on GM,” said Mary Barra, GM chair and CEO. “His impactful journey from joining the Fisher Body Plant in Euclid, Ohio, to his integral role in GM’s COVID-19 emergency response is a testament to his unwavering commitment and dedication. We are immensely grateful for his over four decades of service and congratulate him on his well-deserved retirement.”
Clausen is stepping in to lead global manufacturing and sustainability at GM, bringing a track record of manufacturing, innovation, and operational excellence. He spearheaded the scaling of electric vehicle propulsion systems at Tesla’s Gigafactory 1 and played a role in making EVs more accessible. His expertise also extends to biomanufacturing. At Zymergen, he automated gene manufacturing and fermentation technology to deliver sustainable materials. He also led a financial turnaround at LEGO by simplifying the product and component portfolio. At Google Data Centers, as VP of engineering, he drove technological innovation, product development, and process optimization.
“JP’s unique expertise in global manufacturing innovation, engineering, and operations will accelerate our ability to deliver on our vision for GM with the highest quality vehicles for our customers,” Barra said. “We are excited to welcome him to the team and know that his contributions will be instrumental to our future.”
Mike Abbott will be leaving GM to care for his health. Since arriving last May, he has led advancements in the company’s approach to software design, development, execution, and quality testing. Abbott also expanded the software and services leadership team by recruiting vice presidents with backgrounds from Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft.
“Mike’s contributions have been invaluable, and I look forward to him remaining part of the GM family as an advisor to me when his health permits. I also have the utmost trust in the strong bench of leaders in place. His recovery is the priority, and we wish him well,” said Barra.
Baris Cetinok, current VP of software and services products, has been named interim head of software and services while conducting a search. Johnson will remain at GM through the end of the year and work with Clausen to ensure a smooth transition.
Park named Transervice director of business development
Transervice Logistics, a provider of fleet maintenance and transportation solutions, has named Byron Park as director of business development, Southeast.
The transportation industry veteran will manage all sales opportunities for the company’s southeast region of the U.S., with an emphasis on developing new relationships in Tennessee, North and South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas.
Prior to joining Transervice, Byron was VP of sales at Nobility Logistics out of Parrish, Florida. His career has included posts as director of dedicated sales and business development at Dupré Logistics; director of business development at Schneider; VP of sales, dedicated services at U.S. Express; and VP of the dedicated fleet division for Interstate Distributor Company.
“Byron’s success in Sales and Dedicated Contract management will be a tremendous asset in our efforts to develop new markets for our transportation services in the Southeast,” said Doug Adamson, Transervice senior VP of sales and marketing.
East Manufacturing’s Kinsley promoted to CPO of Fultra
Fultra, the solutions partner for ground freight transportation in North America, recently promoted Dave Kinsley to chief procurement officer.
The advancement of Kinsley fulfills Fultra’s procurement strategy goal of aligning Fultra’s overall business objectives with all its companies, including East, Fruehauf, Amparts-Promare, and Sierra Norte. As a key leader in the organization, Kinsley will handle all aspects of sourcing, procurement, and supply chain management processes, as well as manage procurement teams across Fultra companies, including continuing to manage the East procurement team.
Kinsley’s expertise in monitoring market trends and analyzing supply chains will allow East and its affiliate companies to improve sourcing and processes to gain efficiencies, monitor key performance indicators, and identify potential threats to safeguard against disruptions in operations.
“Strategic sourcing will help us drive efficiencies and productivity across all our facilities while also strengthening our supplier partnerships with a long-term focus,” said Jorge Martinez, CEO of Fultra. “Dave’s experience and leadership will be key in making it come together. “
Until his promotion, Kinsley had been VP of materials at East since 2011, where he had been director of materials after joining East in 2006. Before East, Kinsley spent 24 years in various executive management positions in the toy industry.
See also: Fultra acquires trailer OEM East
