GM Korea appoints new CEO

GM Korea President and CEO Kaher Kazem / Courtesy of GM Korea

By Jhoo Dong-chan

GM Korea has appointed GM India President Kaher Kazem as its new president and CEO, effective Sept. 1.

Succeeding outgoing CEO James Kim, who resigned from the company after suffering a low sales performance, Kazem will also be appointed as chairman of the board of directors.

“We are pleased to have Kaher taking over GM’s key operations in Korea,” said Stefan Jacoby, president of GM International.

“As a car guy, Kaher has had a long and distinguished career in manufacturing, business operations and leading key markets in the automotive industry. He has the experience and global perspective to lead GM Korea to a sustainable and competitive future.”

Kazem said he is excited over his new role in Korea.

“I will work closely with our team and business partners to turn around GM Korea’s financial performance and ensure the sustainability of our business,” he said.

“Chevrolet is a strong brand in Korea. I look forward to building on its success and continuing to put our customers in Korea at the center of everything we do.”

Kazem began his career with GM in Australia in 1995, and has since held several key leadership positions in GM’s global operations.

In 2009, Kazem became vice president of manufacturing and quality for GM Thailand and ASEAN. He was then appointed president and managing director of GM Uzbekistan in 2012.

In 2015, Kazem joined GM India as chief operating officer, later being appointed president and managing director in 2016.