General Motors has restructured its operations in Europe, which have been losing money since 1999 and are now not expected to break even this year.

The move, designed to bring Opel, Vauxhall and Saab under closer central control of the Zurich head office, will include functions such as finance, engineering, manufacturing, design, sales and marketing.

Fritz Henderson becomes chairman of GME; Carl-Peter Forster reports to him as president; and Hans Demant, who retains his responsibilities as vice-president of engineering for GME, succeeds Forster as the MD of Opel. GME vice president and Vauxhall chairman/MD Kevin Wale now reports to Forster.

Rick Wagoner, GM’s chairman and CEO, says: “Performing as one company is key to our future success. We are formalising a single operating culture in Europe that will pull all the units of GM Europe in the same direction, leveraging the vast resources of the global GM family.”