Ex-Chevrolet President Karl Slym to head Tata Motors

Tata Motors has pulled off a fantastic coup by announcing the appointment of Mr. Karl Slym as its Managing Director. Slym is the former President and MD of General Motors India. He will take over his responsibilities from October 1, 2012.

He succeeds PM Telang who retired from his post in June this year. As MD of Tata Motors, Slym will lead all operations of the company in India, and overseas markets like South Korea, Thailand, Spain, Indonesia and South Africa. However, Tata's subsidiary Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) will continue to be managed independently.

Slym began his career in Toyota as a senior manager. After moving to GM in 1995, he executed many roles in the company’s operations across the world. Before taking over GM India, Slym was the head of quality for GM Asia Pacific-Seoul.

He led GM India from Oct 1, 2007 to January 1, 2012. He is attributed for strengthening GM's position in the Indian car scene at a difficult time when its parent company in the US filed for bankruptcy. Successful models like the Cruze and Beat were launched during his tenure. He also aggressively expanded Chevrolet's dealership network.

Slym left GM India earlier this year to join GM’s larger operation in China as the Executive Vice President of SAIC Motor and Wuling Motors.