Following General Motors failed sale of Opel to Magna International, Opel head Carl-Peter Forster will reportedly step down from his post. General Motors announced earlier this month that it would retain its German Opel brand despite months of negotiations with Canada’s Magna International.
According to Spiegel Online, Forster has decided to resign from Opel following the failed takeover by Magna. Forster was reportedly earmarked to run the independent Opel, but will now leave the company entirely. Forster joined General Motors in 2001.
Nick Reilly, GM’s current head of international operations, will reportedly fill Forster’s spot as Opel’s top executive. Reilly currently works out of Shanghai and formerly held the post of managing direct of Vauxhall – Opel’s UK sister brand.
Forster’s departure marks the first high-ranking official to leave the German automaker after the failed takeover, and could signal a looming fallout. Opel’s position within the GM family hangs in the balance as the Detroit automaker pushes its Chevrolet brand as its volume division in Europe – essentially displacing Opel’s historic market position.
