• Bloomberg, Friday, December 4, 2009 10:46 AM

General Motors vice chairman Robert Lutz, 77, who has overseen sales and marketing at the automaker since agreeing to postpone his retirement plans in July, has new marching orders. He will remain as vice chairman but will serve as an adviser on design and product development, GM says in a statement released on its Web site this morning.

Mark Reuss, who was vp of engineering, has been named president of GM North America. Susan E. Docherty has been named vp, vehicle sales, service and marketing operations, and will report to Reuss. Christopher Preuss, vp communications, will now report to Whitacre; he previously reported to Lutz.

Lutz met with Whitacre at 10 a.m. yesterday and people familiar with that meeting say that he left the discussion meeting pleased with his new role, David Welch, Katie Merx and Jeff Green report. Lutz had guided GM's global product development and held other management roles since rejoining GM in September 2001 after stints elsewhere.

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