GM names EV exec Parks to lead purchasing, product development

Doug Parks, a longtime General Motors engineer who oversees its autonomous and electric-vehicle programs, will become the automaker's global product development and purchasing chief, GM said Wednesday.

The move comes as GM prepares to make a major push into electrification of its lineup. CEO Mary Barra this week said the company expects to spend more money developing EVs than internal-combustion vehicles over the next five years.

Parks will take over product development duties from President Mark Reuss and assume responsibility for purchasing and supply chain from Steve Kiefer.

Kiefer, GM's purchasing boss for the past five years, will be president of GM South America and International Operations. His successor as vice president of global purchasing and supply chain is Shilpan Amin, executive director of interior and exterior, global purchasing and supply chain. Amin, 44, was in the 2016 class of Automotive News Rising Stars. 

All of the moves take effect Friday.

Parks, 58, and Kiefer, 56, will report to Reuss, who is expanding his role as president to oversee GM's regional businesses. GM's top officials in North America and China, who previously reported to Barra, also will report to Reuss now.

"Our industry is transforming faster than at any time in its history," Barra said in a statement. "Aligning our regional operations under Mark will drive even greater collaboration and speed-to-market, and accelerate growth opportunities in our core business and in the future of mobility."

Parks' new title — executive vice president of global product development, purchasing and supply chain — is the same one held by Reuss from 2013 to 2018 and by Barra before that. Reuss, 56, had maintained oversight of product development in his latest role.

Parks joined GM as a tooling engineer shortly after graduating from Michigan Technological University in 1984. His career included time as chief engineer of the Pontiac Solstice, Chevrolet Cobalt and Chevy Volt. He was promoted to vice president of global product programs under Barra when she was the head of product development.

Parks' replacement running the autonomous and EV programs will be Ken Morris, the current vice president of global product programs. Tim Herrick, executive chief engineer of full-size trucks, will succeed Morris. They will report to Parks.

Carlos Zarlenga, president and managing director of GM South America, and Julian Blissett, senior vice president of International Operations, will report to Kiefer.