Engineering veteran Roberto Rempel named new CEO of GM Korea

General Motors on Friday named Roberto Rampel, current president of GM Technical Center Korea, as president and CEO of GM Korea.

Rempel, an engineering specialist, will start his term on June 1 when his predecessor Kaher Kazem leaves for his new role as executive vice president of SAIC-GM in China.

GM expressed high hopes for the new CEO in winning more customers in both domestic and exports markets, and improving the overall competitiveness of GM’s Korean operations.

“The GM Korea team has successfully launched the Chevrolet Trailblazer and Buick Encore GX, which are hugely popular with customers in Korea and in export markets. I am confident that our next global vehicle – the compact crossover – will also be a hit with our customers around the world,” Rempel said.

“I am looking forward to working with our employees, business partners and stakeholders to continue to delight our customers and improve the competitiveness of our operations into the future.”

Rempel has served several management roles at global product management and vehicle engineering teams since he began his career at GM Brazil in 1982.

He started working in Korea since 2015 and was named president of GMTCK in January 2019 for successfully leading development and launch of many programs.

Rempel also played a key role in the successful launches of new models such as the Chevrolet Trailblazer, the Buick Encore GX and next-generation global crossovers, which are all key products for the turnaround of our business in Korea.

As for the president of GMTCK, GM has appointed Brian McMurray, vice president of GMTCK Engineering and Operations, for the role effective June 1.

McMurray began his career at GM in 1997, and he has since acquired extensive engineering experience across various global markets including the US, Canada, Australia, India and China.

In October 2019, he was appointed vice president of GMI and GMTCK Engineering and Operations. In that capacity, he has led a variety of global projects including the development of the Chevrolet Trailblazer, Buick Encore GX and next-generation global vehicle.

By Hong Yoo (yoohong@heraldcorp.com)