Chevy's new boss next week is ...
Chevy's new boss to retire
He is being replaced by James Campbell, 45, who ran GM's fleet and commercial operations, and will serve as Chevrolet general manager.
Dewar, 54, was appointed to the job by ousted CEO Fritz Henderson in July after serving as GM Europe's vice president, sales, marketing and aftersales.
Dewar spent 31 years at GM and was perceived to be closely aligned with Henderson, who resigned under pressure from the board of directors last week.
"He was a Fritz guy and that can put you in some element of concern," said Rebecca Lindland, IHS Global Insight director of automotive research. "The GM-lifer stamp is not a stamp of approval. These are people whose careers are measured in decades and now the results are measured in months."
Bloomberg News reported late Wednesday that Buick GMC General Manager Michael Richards was leaving the company after eight days on the job; GM would not confirm the report.
Dewar's last day is April 1. GM said he is retiring to spend more time with his family and pursue personal interests.
The Chevrolet position is a key job because GM anticipates the brand accounting for about 70 percent of its sales.
Chevy's sales for November were 99,663, an increase of 4.8 percent from a year ago, accounting for 13.3 percent of the market. Chevrolet has arguably two of GM's most important launches next year with the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car and the Cruze compact.
The Volt is expected to help change perceptions about GM while the Cruze is expected to be a high-volume, fuel-efficient vehicle that gets up to
40 miles per gallon on the highway."Jim has a strong track record of building relationships and partnerships with dealers and customers, and deep Chevrolet experience," said Susan Docherty, GM vice president of sales, service and marketing. "His energy, drive for results and willingness to take risks are great assets for leading the growing global Chevrolet brand."
Campbell joined GM in 1988 and has been involved with launches of the Chevrolet Impala, Monte Carlo, Colorado and Corvette. He also has worked in field sales, retail incentives, marketing and customer-relationship management.
The move comes five days after Chairman and interim CEO Ed Whitacre reshuffled senior management.