Tall order

2 December 2009 By Antony Currie Follow @AntonyMCurrie

Fritz Henderson’s successor needs some restructuring savvy. The ideal candidate also needs to bring fresh ideas, be a cheerleader and a realist, be able to handle a strong board with an independent bent and the US govt and be willing to wait for a payoff. Good luck with that.

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Fritz Henderson stepped down as chief executive of General Motors on Dec. 1. Board chairman Edward Whitacre will take over as interim chief while the company searches for a new leader. At a brief press conference in Detroit, Whitacre read a statement and refused to take questions on the board's deliberations.

Press reports indicated that Henderson was less willing than the board to consider retaining full control of Opel and to keep Saab after the deal to sell to Koenigsegg fell through last week. Henderson was also more bullish about the prospects for an initial public offering next year than the board. And directors were concerned about the strategy for maintaining or increasing market share without resorting to sales incentives.

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