Serdan, previously the strategy chief for GM’s Opel is the Chevrolet President for a mere two months and the move was made to lead GM grab a better share of the European market with their Chevy and Cadillac. Serdan will run GM’s European operation as a turnaround specialist told journalists during the Frankfurt Auto Show that Chevy customers in Europe want excellent design cars that also cost at least 10 to 15% less than mainstream GM brands like Opel.
According to him, the reason behind GM’s share of only 1.5% of the European market is mainly due to lack of brand awareness among the consumers and improving brand awareness is presently the biggest challenge that GM is facing in Europe. But he maintains that improved profitability will continue to be the first priority with the expected result of reducing the number of deals for volume and bulk sales.
Serdan, who also worked as a consultant with Alix Partners, told the present journalists that it is also important for GM to narrow down the rift between Chevy and Opel that is there since 2009, when a sale of Opel to a Canadian group was explored by the company. This resulted in a splitting of teams that considerably hurt the company’s European operations. Serdan maintained a view that with better understanding and appreciation and improved respect for the brand, GM is now better positioned in Europe to fight for more market share and these when reflected in the car designs and also the distribution system can produce the desired results.
He also added that there is a chance of potential closure without cannibalizing between the two brands for there is only a 20% overlap between Chevy and Opel customers.
