General Motors Co. today announced that Ernesto M. Hernandez, president and managing director of GM de Mexico (GMM), is retiring from the company. Francisco Garza, currently vice president of Vehicle Sales, Service, and Marketing of GMM, will succeed Hernandez.
Garza’s appointment is effective Sept. 1, after which he will lead GM operations in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. He will report to Barry Engle, executive vice president and president, the Americas.
Replacing Garza as vice president, Vehicle Sales, Service, and Marketing of GMM is Juan Carlos Garcia, currently chief financial officer of GM de Mexico.
“Under Ernesto’s leadership, GM started a profound transformation in Mexico, a change that is now consolidating our position as the most important and admired automotive company in the country,” says Engle. “We greatly appreciate Ernesto’s legacy and what he has contributed to GM over his stellar career and almost 40 years of service. As our company focuses on streamlining global operations, I see Francisco and Juan Carlos as the perfect leaders to continue our transformation in Mexico.”
Hernandez, who will remain on as an advisor and assist in a smooth leadership transition, started working at GM in 1980. Over the years, he held numerous positions of growing responsibility in product engineering, manufacturing, planning, program management, vehicle sales, and marketing and aftersales, both in Mexico and in the United States. He was appointed president and managing director of GMM in 2011, becoming the first Mexican national to hold this position.
Garza joined GMM in 2011 as vice president, Vehicle Sales, Service, and Marketing, assuming responsibility for the development and implementation of go-to-market strategies for Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac and for managing and maintaining close relationships with dealers in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. His previous position was managing director of Ally Credit Mexico (currently GM Financial), the leading financial services company in the Mexican automotive sector.
Garcia joined GMM in 2005 and has held various positions in finance, including pricing manager; financial planning and analysis manager; VSSM controller, and operations director for Vehicle Sales, Service and Marketing. In 2015, he was appointed chief financial officer, having responsibility for all financial operations of GMM, Central America, and the Caribbean. Previous to GM, he held different positions in a dealership.
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