GM China president to become automaker's chief technology officer

DETROIT — General Motors on Wednesday said Chief Technology Officer Jon Lauckner and communications chief Tony Cervone are retiring.

Matt Tsien, 59, president of GM China, will succeed Lauckner, 62, as the automaker prepares to introduce a bevy of electric vehicles. GM has hired Craig Buchholz from Procter & Gamble to replace Cervone, 57. The changes are effective April 1, though Lauckner and Cervone will remain with GM until July 1.

Tsien has led GM's China operations since 2014. His team implemented technology to enable long-term growth in China, especially in electrification and connectivity, GM said in a statement .

Previously, Tsien was vice president of planning and program management for GM China, GM International and Strategic Alliances. He led product planning across the region and helped oversee the growth of the product lineup. Before that, he was executive vice president of SAIC-GM-Wuling, GM China's manufacturing joint venture with SAIC and Guangxi Automobile Group, the former Wuling Motors.

Julian Blissett, 53, senior vice president of international operations, will replace Tsien in China. Tsien and Blissett will report to GM President Mark Reuss.

Steve Kiefer, 56, president of GM International, will continue in that role and also oversee the day-to-day operations of GM's international markets.

Lauckner, who helped lead the development of the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid, has been GM's CTO since 2012.

Buchholz has been chief communications officer for Procter & Gamble for about two years. He previously worked for pharmaceutical companies Merck, Johnson & Johnson and Pharmacia. At GM, Buchholz will report to CEO Mary Barra.

Cervone has been GM's senior vice president for global communications since 2014. He was brought in to handle the public-relations fallout after the discovery of a defect in millions of ignition switches that ultimately was tied to 124 deaths over more than a decade.