GM gets itself rebundled for the European market

General Motors Europe has changed it sales and marketing structure, bundling together sales and marketing of Opel, Vauxhall and…

General Motors Europe has changed it sales and marketing structure, bundling together sales and marketing of Opel, Vauxhall and Saab as part of a drive to cut costs

"We will no longer pursue separate sales strategies for Opel, Vauxhall and Saab," says Jonathan Browning, vice president of sales and marketing at GM Europe. "Instead in each country, the management roles will be brought together under the roof of one sales organisation."

The move has no direct impact in Ireland as Saab is distributed by a national importer, the OHM Group. However, among the changes has been the repositioning of Opel Ireland within the structure. Previously bundled with the Nordic region, with a head office in Stockholm, it will now report to GM UK.

The aim is improved synergies with sister firm Vauxhall. GM Europe aims to break even this year, but has said it may lose as much as $200 million after a $68 million first-half loss.