GM names new head of its European business

Posted by Admin September 16, 2024 Bussiness

General Motors Co. has named Pere Brugal as the new president and managing director of GM Europe, the company said in a LinkedIn post.

Brugal, who’s been with GM since August 2023, was previously chief commercial officer for GM Europe. He’s succeeding Jaclyn McQuaid, who’s now leading the Buick and GMC brands.

In the post, GM Europe said: “With Pere’s rich knowledge of the region, deep insights and relationships, and proven track record in setting up new distribution and sales models, he is well-equipped to lead GM Europe forward.”

GM executives in 2022 started talking about plans to reenter Europe as an electric vehicle player after exiting the market in 2017, when the automaker sold its Germany-based Opel and United Kingdom-based Vauxhall businesses to Groupe PSA of France. The latter company has since merged with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to form Stellantis NV.

McQuaid in the past two years “played a crucial role in our return to Europe, leading our entry into new markets and establishing a solid foundation that forms the basis for a successful business,” GM Europe said in its post.

GM launched sales for its all-electric Cadillac business last October and currently sells in Switzerland, Sweden, France and Germany. The first product in the market is the Cadillac Lyriq all-electric SUV.

Brugal previously worked for Chinese automaker BYD Co. Ltd. in Europe. His resume also includes working for Tesla Inc. in Europe.

khall@detroitnews.com

@bykaleahall