RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – GM South America’s CEO Carlos Zarlenga, has decided to leave the company to pursue other opportunities, according to a statement. GM will name a successor to lead the region soon.
In the meantime, GM South America’s chief financial officer Roberto Martin will temporarily lead the business. GM International CEO Steve Kiefer thanked Carlos for his leadership in South America since 2013.
GM’s statement points out that: “Carlos has been a driving force for change, not only in our business but in the automotive industry in South America. Under his leadership, GM is making a historic investment to deliver market-leading global vehicles and continue Chevrolet’s more than 100 years of success in the region. In addition, he has driven the Chevrolet brand to market leadership in Brazil and maintained it in South America.”
The Argentine executive is close to the Brazilian market – before his last position at GM, he was the company’s CEO in Brazil. Under his leadership the brand updated its product line, with new generations of the Onix, Onix Plus, and Tracker.
However, he also had to deal with controversy, such as fire reports from newly sold vehicles and public threats to pull Chevrolet out of the country if unprofitable. More recently, he was faced with semiconductor shortages and plant shutdowns.
“It’s hard to anticipate the reasons that may lead to his replacement, because there are everything from a proposal from another company to personal reasons. At this moment, we can’t know. But it is important to remember that such a large stoppage leaves bruises in the entire company, because no area is unscathed by the lack of products to sell,” says Cássio Pagliarini, a specialist at Bright Consulting.