8.5.2003
GM Communications Executives move into new assignments

Tony Cervone is named Vice President, GM Europe Communications and Marc Beckers appointed Executive Director, Product Communications at GM Corporation in Detroit.

Tony Cervone is being appointed GM Europe Vice President, Communications, effective July 1. In this capacity, he will be responsible for coordinating all external and internal communications activities for GM's European operations, including the Opel, Vauxhall and Saab brands, as well as GM Daewoo Europe.

Cervone (40) currently is Executive Director, Executive and Financial Communications for GM Corporation, a position he has occupied since 2001. He has gathered extensive experience, working in virtually every aspect of auto industry communications, including corporate, financial, product, labor, international, procurement and crisis communications, and has held a variety of senior communications positions at General Motors, DaimlerChrysler and Chrysler Corporation.

In his current position, Cervone has been responsible for overseeing the communications and media relations needs of GM's top officers, including former Chairman Jack Smith, Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner, Vice Chairman Bob Lutz and Vice Chairman and CFO John Devine. He has also been responsible for financial and corporate international communications, and for directing the corporate speechwriting staff.

In Europe, Tony Cervone will succeed Marc Beckers (47) who is being appointed Executive Director, Product Communications at GM Corporation, in Detroit. Beckers will be responsible for sales, service and marketing communications; product lifecycle communications, product technical communications and advanced technology messaging, as well as for the global coordination of GM's product communications activities.

Beckers joined Opel Belgium in 1979 and – during his career – has also gained experience at Renault and with GM's North American Vehicle operation in Germany. Before being appointed to his current position in 1996, he had been Executive Director, Product Communications, for GM Europe.