DETROIT - The New CEO of General Motors Co. told employees that the automaker needs to make cars and trucks that are better than those of competitors such as BMW.
Former telecommunications executive Daniel Akerson, in his first webcast to employees since taking over as CEO Sept. 1, said the company needs to go into "attack mode" to stay ahead of rivals, according to a worker who watched the speech on Wednesday.
Akerson told employees that GM needs to keep competitors on their heels rather than responding to what they do, said the worker, who asked not to be identified because the webcast was not public.
Akerson used BMW as an example, saying that GM's Cadillac luxury brand has to make cars that are better than BMW's 300, 500 and 700 series sedans.
In the 40-minute address, Akerson, who has been on GM's board for about a year, said he is learning quickly about the auto industry but faces a large amount of information.
"He said he's drinking from a fire hose right now," the worker said.
Akerson last week replaced Ed Whitacre, who was also known for an aggressive style. He fired ineffective executives, starred in GM commercials and led the company to two straight quarterly profits after years of losses. GM is preparing for the sale of its stock to the public, perhaps in November.
Akerson was introduced by Whitacre, who told employees that he stepped down because the company needed a CEO who would be in charge long after the stock sale.
Whitacre, 68, a retired CEO of telecommunications giant AT&T Inc., said he didn't want to stay too long after the sale, which is called an initial public offering.
