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GM has promoted Vauxhall Motors chairman and managing director Nick

Reilly to the position of vice-president for sales, marketing and

aftersales for Europe.

The appointment, effective from August 1, makes him the firm's top

European marketer.

Reilly, 51, succeeds Jeffrey Hurlbert, who is retiring. He will retain

his role as chairman of Vauxhall, overseeing the closure of Vauxhall's

main Luton plant, the expansion of GM's IBC plant in Luton and

forthcoming wage talks.

Vauxhall's managing director role will go to Kevin Wale, who is

currently executive director of operations for GM Asia Pacific, based in

the company's Singapore office.

Wale also becomes a vice-president of GM Europe and will serve on GM's

European Strategy Board.

In his five years in the top post at Vauxhall, Reilly presided over the

partial shutdown of the car manufacturer's long-suffering Luton plant,

which sparked industrial action throughout Vauxhall's UK operations. The

plant is to be closed next spring, with 2000 job losses.

Reilly, who is credited with raising pounds 1bn in investments for GM's

UK operations to stave off further cuts, was recently named president of

the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

Vauxhall lost pounds 200m last year, while GM Europe has announced

losses of pounds 86m for the first quarter of 2001, along with a 3.4%

slide in year-on-year sales for the first five months of this year.