GM Hires Former Volvo CEO Jacoby, Names Lee to Head China

General Motors taps former Volvo Car CEO and Volkswagen of America chief Stefan Jacoby to take over International Operations, naming current GMIO head Tim Lee to oversee the auto maker’s key and growing market of China.

Jacoby left VWA in 2010 to run Volvo after the Swedish car maker was acquired by Zhejiang Geely. Rumored a victim of an internal power struggle involving Geely Chairman Li Shufu, Jacoby was replaced by former MAN CEO Hakan Samuelsson after he took sick leave following a mild stroke.

A one-time top executive for VW China, Jacoby has extensive experience in the Asia-Pacific arena, which he now will oversee for GM along with operations in Africa, Europe and the Middle East. As executive vice president-Consolidated International Operations, Jacoby will have responsibility for more than 100 countries and territories.

As chairman of GM China, Lee, who ran GMIO for nearly four years, now will have responsibility for 12 joint ventures, two wholly owned enterprises and more than 55,000 employees. He also will continue as executive vice president-global manufacturing. The chairman position is new for GM China.

Bob Socia, president of GM China, will continue to report to Lee.

“Stefan is a great addition to an already strong team,” GM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson says. “We expect him to continue building on his record of delivering results in markets around the world.”

Jacoby officially joins GM on Aug. 5 and will report directly to Akerson.

Akerson says GM is in “the midst of the most aggressive product rollout in our history,” and that Lee is “critical to building on our success in China and to ensuring flawless vehicle launches around the globe.”

Globally, GM will launch more than 60 vehicles in 2013-14.