Automotive News - January 7, 2008 - (Page 10)

10 • JANUARY 7, 2008 Saturn chief Jill Lajdziak: “I don’t think you’re in this business if you’re not passionate about the product.” Saturn’s Lajdziak: GM is ‘where I wanted to be’ ill Lajdziak’s General Motors roots run deep. The head of GM’s Saturn brand grew up working in her father’s Chevrolet-Oldsmobile dealership. She even told other potential employers of her desire to work for the automaker. She got her wish. She was present at Saturn’s creation in the mid1980s, and worked her way up to Saturn’s top job. She is enthusiastic about the Chevrolet Corvette and J Person to person adventure vacations, and passionate about her work. Name: Jill Lajdziak Title: General manager, Saturn sales, © GM CORP. service and marketing Age: 51 Family: Married, two sons, 17 and 15 Education: Bachelor’s degree in business, University of Wisconsin Big break: “I interviewed with Procter & Gamble and the interview team said, ‘Where would you like to be in five years?’ I said, ‘I want to be working for GM.’ And they said, ‘You ought to go interview with GM.’ I think that was a break for me, because it solidified where I wanted to be.” Why did you want to work for GM? I grew up in the car business. My father was a Chevy-Olds dealer in a small town in Wisconsin. I remember going to dealerships since I was 3 and washing cars. He’s 87 now. The dealership was sold a number of years ago. How did you get into Saturn? I started out as a district manager with Chevrolet. I was part of the Saturn startup team in the mid-’80s, a few years before we came to market in the 1990s. Are you a car gal? Absolutely. I don’t think you’re in this business if you’re not passionate about the product. I’m looking for a 1956 Corvette because that was the year I was born. How would you describe yourself to others? Very sincere, pretty intense. Most people would say in the workplace I am tough but fair. I cherish friends and I certainly cherish my family. Are you comfortable being a mentor? I want to share what I have learned over time, so that others can learn from mistakes I’ve made or what I have worked my way through. That’s how you learn and grow. Are you a good cook? I am. I make a terrific pork tenderloin and a terrific duck. I do a lot of traveling and I am constantly on the road, so I really enjoy hosting people at my home. What sort of vacations do you like? We do high-adventure trips. Living in a jungle for a week. We’ve done dude ranches that are not the spa kind. You got up at 5:30 in the morning and went out with the wranglers to bring in the herd. That’s what we enjoy the most. I just can’t sit. What was a recent fun activity? Sailing on a little 14-foot sailboat with my son this summer. We had a blast. We just sailed and spent time talking. What music do you listen to? Beyond Bon Jovi, my kids program my iPod. They know what I like: soft rock and a little bit of jazz. If you could do anything other than what you do, what would you do? I would want to make wishes come true for people. — Jamie LaReau When it comes to backing up, why look anyplace else? Sure, you could put the rear camera display someplace else, but why? The mirror is an intuitive, ergonomic location that lets you view the reflected scene and the display simultaneously. It’s also a cost-effective solution that simplifies cross-platform integration. And, the on-demand display comes packaged in an auto-dimming mirror with a host of other optional value-added features. The Gentex rear camera display one look shows it all. Gentex Corporation • 600 North Centennial, Zeeland, Michigan 49464 • 616-772-1800 • www.gentex.com http://www.gentex.com http://www.gentex.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Automotive News - January 7, 2008

Caddy V-8 is endangered species An industry turns green -- let's talk JAPAN TRIUMPHANT Ford, Microsoft to offer 911 service in Sync GPS will track fuel price Brose buys Siemens motor unit as step toward N.A. growth Expanding Meridian sees bright future Federal-Mogul CEO to stay Harbour Consulting sold Soft market threatens Tundra sales goal Ford dumps volume targets for dealer bonuses How HCCI engines work Visteon: 'We're leaner and smaller' Ford doubles regional promo money Gasoline-diesel combo moves closer to reality Rethinking retail: A hot topic at World Congress Denso expands hybrid plant CAFE fines may yield meager grants Some pay raise: To $8.3 million from $1 New Chrysler purchasing chief looks to Asia BMW adds jobs to boost S.C. output Continental layoffs follow production cuts at Chrysler Study: Indirect loan delinquencies soar No more peekaboo for Camaro Saturn's Lajdziak: GM is 'where I wanted to be' LETTER TO THE EDITOR Why buy Japanese? Here's an answer CAFE will put new entrees on auto show menu What an exciting way to start 2008 LETTER TO THE EDITOR 84-month financing is nothing new LETTER TO THE EDITOR GM ad policy shift is good for dealers JAMES B. TREECE Detroit show gets back on a global track LETTER TO THE EDITOR Too many dealers: Blame greed LETTER TO THE EDITOR Why not learn from Toyota? LETTER TO THE EDITOR A hot news item? Nah; it's 9 years old Suppliers to the 2008 Saturn Vue Supplier personnel Haldex farms out brake work The theme: Green and mean Dodge Ram gets interior upgrade BMW's 1-series coupe gets a soft-top counterpart Chrysler eye candy includes green jelly bean Chinese automakers increase their presence Concept offers a peek at Explorer's likely successor Ford goes global in styling its B-cars Forum concept is a clubhouse on wheels Dealers Simple safety: Green, amber, red Lexus SUV luxury will grow on you Personnel Gas prices boost Nissan car sales as trucks tank This year's U.S. sales forecast: Gloomy Ford: Tata is lead bidder for 2 brands Ex-Toyota manager goes to Audi Hyundai has new N.A. chief TRW buys Delphi brake assets Who's No. 1? Time for an official review Waning interest Solstice outguns Miata - again Once more into the legal fray? Lifan is the latest Chinese wannabe Things are looking up (and down) for MG Who has 1st Mustang - and what's it worth?

Automotive News - January 7, 2008

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