GM restructures global engineering for cross-system integration

General Motors has announced the restructuring of its Global Vehicle Engineering module to improve cross-system integration, deliver more consistent performance across vehicle programs and address functional safety and compliance in its vehicles.

“A vehicle is a collection of 30,000 individual parts. Fully integrating those parts into cohesive systems with industry-leading quality and safety is key in this customer-driven business,” said Mark Reuss, EVP, Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain.

Global Vehicle Engineering is being restructured to form two new organisations: Global Product Integrity and Global Vehicle Components and Subsystems.

Global Product Integrity, which is effective immediately, will build on specific actions GM has taken in recent years to lead the industry in vehicle dynamics including ride and handling, steering and braking. GM is applying the same approach to overall quality and safety performance and ensure the highest levels of execution across all its vehicles.

Ken Morris, currently executive director, Global Chassis Engineering, has been named vice-president, Global Product Integrity. The newly created role and organization will include vehicle, powertrain and electrical systems engineering as well as vehicle performance, industrial engineering and validation. It also includes the recently formed Global Vehicle Safety organisation led by Jeff Boyer, who is overseeing the addition of 35 product investigators. Supplier quality will now become part of the new Global Product Integrity organization.

Ken Kelzer, currently vice-president, GM Europe Powertrain Engineering, has been named vice-president, Global Vehicle Components and Subsystems. His new role and organisation includes engineering operations, components development, advanced vehicle development and other engineering business initiatives.

Global Product Integrity will use advanced analysis tools and processes to flag and prevent issues during vehicle development, while also mining field data to react quickly to safety and product quality issues customers may experience. 

Morris joined GM in 1989 as a brake systems engineer from Borg Warner Automotive Transmission Systems where he was a test engineer. He has held several key engineering roles at GM, most recently executive director for Global Chassis Engineering, where he was responsible for design and execution for the fuel systems, suspensions, steering, brakes, tyres and wheels as well as powertrain interface systems for all GM vehicles. Morris holds a bachelor’s degree of science from Purdue University in Mechanical Engineering. 

Kelzer joined GM as an intern in 1982. Most recently, he was vice-president of General Motors Europe Powertrain Engineering, where he was responsible for GM’s powertrain operations in Europe. Some of Kelzer’s prior roles include executive chief engineer of full and midsize vehicles, global vehicle chief engineer for rear-wheel drive and performance vehicles, and global functional leader of chassis and accessories.

Kelzer holds a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota and a master’s in Business from the University of Michigan.

Photograph: While Kenneth Kelzer has been appointed vice-president of Global Vehicle Components and Sub-systems, Kenneth Morris becomes the vice-president of Global Product Integrity.