UPDATE: This post inadvertently linked to a "Tell Fritz" website that is NOT the official site and is not connected with GM. For the real Tell Fritz feature, check out GMReinvention.com.General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson and his PR corps have managed to drum up quite a bit of press for his allegedly new, more transparent, consumer-friendly approach to running a car company. The Wall Street Journal reports (subscription required) that "Mr. Henderson is planning various ways to remain the face of GM's turnaround effort, including a consistent string of media interviews and monthly national road shows starting in August, during which he plans to meet with dealers and interact with customers."
Tell Fritz is a new Twitter-like blog format where consumers can interact with the top man at GM. Someone hysterically, it's even equipped with Google Ads for companies like Fritz Hansen Furniture and Fritz the Schnauzer -- Multiple streams of income, here GM comes!
This whole new GM with a new frontman would be more believable if it weren't for a few things: Fritz Henderson is 52 years old and has been with General Motors since 1984 -- the same year he graduated from business school. In other words, his entire professional career has been spent as part of the old GM. If he's such a brilliant innovator, why wasn't he pushing Richard Wagoner in the right direction? Was he weak and subservient? If so, that doesn't bode well. Henderson was vice chairman and CFO from the beginning of 2006 onward until he was elevated to COO. As CFO, why didn't he push for the company's irresponsible dividend to be eliminated so that the company could pay down debt? At the beginning of 2006, shares of GM were flying high and the company might have been able to raise cash, but Fritz ignored the heinously bad balance sheet and it was business as usual.
Looking at this guy's biography, there's really very little to make you think he's going to be the guy who can transform GM into a lean, 21st century company. He can do all the Twittering and YouTube videos he wants, but what GM needs is new blood and leadership.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-21-2009 @ 3:16PM
itguy08 said...
Zac, please do a little fact checking.....
tellfritz.org is in no way related to GM....
This is the footer of the main page:
"© 2009 TellFritz.org | GMTruckClub | This site is for entertainment purposes only and is not related to the new or old GM companies."