GM names Microsoft CFO to run its finances

• Source: Global Times
• [11:25 December 22 2009]
• Comments

Chris Liddell, chief financial officer of Microsoft to join GM in early 2010

US automaker General Motors has appointed Chris Liddell, chief financial officer of Microsoft, to be its new vice Chairman and CFO, the company announced Monday.

"Chris will lead our financial and accounting operations on a global basis and will report directly to me. We are also looking to his experience and insights in corporate strategy as a member of the senior leadership team in helping our restructuring efforts," said Ed Whitacre, chairman and CEO of GM.

According to the Detroit News, Liddell replaces Ray Young, who was appointed vice president of international operations on December 14. The Obama administration was very concerned about how GM's financial operations were managed. The automaker was looking for a new CFO for several months.

Liddell's appointment comes less than two weeks after former CEO Fritz Henderson's resignation. The company made a series of management changes and gave more responsibility to younger executives and moved women into important roles to run GM's sales and marketing operation, as well as manufacturing and labor relations.

Liddell, who is 51 years old this year, has been the CFO of Microsoft since 2005. He will leave Microsoft on December 31 and begin his new job at GM in the coming new year. Before his CFO post at Microsoft, Liddell was CFO of International Paper, which is the world's largest forest products company. He also has plenty of experience on investment banking and was a member of the Securities and Exchange Commissions Advisory Committee on Improvements to Financial Reporting.

Agencies and Wang Yang contributed to this story