Bob Socia, GM’s vice president of Global Purchasing and Supply Chain, is to replace Kevin Wale as president of GM China and chief country operations officer, China, India and ASEAN following the latter’s decision to retire at the end of October. Socia will take up the role at the beginning of that month.
“Kevin has been instrumental in strengthening our foundation in the largest vehicle market in the world,” said Tim Lee, GM vice president, Global Manufacturing, and president, International Operations. “Delivering exceptional value related to General Motors’ presence in China, he has made the company a recognized business leader and valued partner throughout Asia. We appreciate Kevin’s nearly four decades of service to the company and wish him continued success.”
Socia has worked in every GM region around the world according to the company and is well prepared for a seamless transition to oversee many of GM’s key Asian markets.
“Bob has extensive experience leading global operations and global purchasing, and working directly with our joint venture partners,” said Lee. “His vast knowledge of our business around the world, combined with his ability to build and foster strong relationships and always put the customer first, makes him a perfect fit for this critical role.”
In his new position, Socia will report to Lee and remain a member of GM’s Executive Operations Committee (EOC). Socia’s successor in Global Purchasing and Supply Chain will be named in the near future said GM.
Dave Dudek, Ceva Logistics’ vice president of Automotive in Asia Pacific, is moving to a new role in Europe leading the company’s Century and Global Sales programmes.
He takes up the new position in mid October, moving to the Netherlands and will report directly to Inna Kuznetsova, Ceva’s chief commercial officer.
The Global Sales Programs/Century role includes providing direction and focus for Ceva’s Global Business Development organisation in strategic areas and products where the company wants to expand its business with customers.
This role encompasses all sectors served by the company including automotive, technology, consumer and retail, industrial and energy.
Dudek explained that Century is Ceva’s focused programme for its top 100 accounts globally, which include the company’s largest customers who are marquee names in their sector.
“I was excited that Ceva asked me to bring my automotive logistics and supply chain, Asia and North America expertise and use that as a foundation to drive innovation and strengthen our partnerships with our customers,” he said. “I also plan to drive further collaboration through the supply chain as I feel that is an excellent and relatively un-tapped area to drive cost savings and also supports sustainability and a healthier environment.”
He added: “I am excited about this new opportunity, which is based at our corporate headquarters in the Netherlands and believe I will also be able to bring best practices and collaboration from other sectors back into automotive as well. “
Dudek was made director of Automotive in Asia Pacific in February 2009 before moving to the vice president role in 2011. Prior to this he was director of Intercontinental Logistics at GM.
Geodis Wilson’s regional director of sales and marketing for Asia and Pacific, Thomas Blank, has moved to a new role as managing director of Geodis Global Solutions, also covering the APAC region. Geodis Global Solutions is the Geodis group’s cross-divisional and multinational clients sales organisation.
Blank will move from Hong Kong and return to Singapore, where he was based when he was senior vice president of Global Freight Forwarding – Commercial with UTi Worldwide until 2010.
Blank has more than 30 years’ experience as a logistics executive holding country management, regional and global positions with companies including Circle International (today CEVA through the EGL acquisition) and Panalpina, prior to his role with UTi.
Gefco Spain has appointed Juan Manuel de Cruz as its director of overseas. De Cruz, who has been responsible for the Gefco Group's central controlling since 2009, is now returning to Spain to assume the directorate of the air and sea departments. In his former role at Gefco's headquarters, de Cruz was responsible for strategy, IT and the consolidation of the Gefco Group, amongst other tasks.
