Tata Motors appoints GM's Carl-Peter Forster as group CEO
15 Feb 2010
Mumbai: Tata Motors has appointed Carl-Peter Forster as the group chief executive officer, with overall responsibility of all Tata Motors operations globally, including Jaguar Land Rover (JLR).
Forster, who resigned in early November as chief executive of General Motors European operations in protest against the GM board's decision to scrap Opel's sale to Magna, was reported by the UK media to have been hired by Tata motors in the same month for a senior position at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR). (See: Tata Motors may hire ex Opel chief at JLR)
Forster, 55, with 24 years of international experience in the automobile industry, was regarded as an ideal choice since he had earlier worked for Land Rover in the 1990s as head of production during BMW's ownership of the marque.
Forster resigned from GM Europe in protest at the US carmaker's decision to scrap its takeover deal with Magna as he had supported the deal to sell Opel to a consortium led by Canadian car parts group Magna and Russia's Sberbank.
He was also tipped to run Opel after Magna acquired a majority stake in Opel.
Tata Motors chairman, Ratan Tata said, ''Tata Motors expects that Forster's induction will greatly facilitate its ambition towards being a truly international company.''