Good for GM and its board for tapping former Microsoft CFO Chris Liddell as the auto maker’s long-sought CFO. It’s a sign GM’s Chairman and CEO, Ed Whitacre, is thinking big for GM – and doing so in a smart way. “Big” in the GM world used to be a problem: the company made cars that were too big to suit a fuel-conscious era; its white- and blue-collar workforce was too big; it had way too many factories across the globe (it still does, but they’re being whittled down.) But GM most certainly needs a big-time CFO to unravel its finances, which are complexly linked to those of the U.S. government. Liddell, a 50-something native of New Zealand, has a good reputation with Wall Street analysts and investors, and of course valuable experience with the books of the world’s foremost tech company. It will be interesting to learn what Liddell will get paid; I reckon it’ll be a so-so salary with a substantial stock component tied to GM’s eventual IPO. Is Liddell a potential CEO candidate? Yep, I wager if he does a good job and clicks with Whitacre and the board, he’ll be a contender.
Posted by Gabriella Stern
on December 21, 2009
Auto Industry, Compensation, Corporate Finance, Corporate Governance, Initial Public Offerings, Technology
Auto Industry, Compensation, Corporate Finance, Corporate Governance, Initial Public Offerings, Technology
2 Comments to GM Gets A New, High-Powered CFO: Chris Liddell
Randomly Noted » Blog Archive » Chris Liddell’s GM Pay: Update
December 22, 2009
December 22, 2009
[...] by Gabriella Stern on December 22, 2009 Auto Industry, Compensation, Executive Compensation Yesterday’s blog about Microsoft CFO Chris Liddell’s appointment as General Motors’ new CFO promised an [...]
December 21, 2009
[...] GM gets a new, high-powered [...]