MANAGEMENT BOARD.
Here you can find information about the people who make up our Management Board.
- Karl-Thomas Neumann
- Michael F. Ableson
- Ulrich Schumacher
- Michael Lohscheller
- Peter Thom
- Susanna Webber
- Johan Willems
Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann
Chairman of the Board of Adam Opel AG
GM Vice President and member of the GM Executive Committee
Dr. Neumann was previously with Volkswagen AG, where he was CEO and Vice President of the Volkswagen Group China in Beijing from September 2010 to August 2012. Prior to that he held a number of management positions at Volkswagen, beginning in 1999 as Head of Research and Director of Electronics Strategy. From 2004 to 2009, Dr. Neumann was a member of the Executive Board, Automotive Systems Division, at German supplier Continental AG. In addition, Dr. Neumann was chairman of the Executive Board of Continental AG from August 2008 to September 2009. In December 2009 he returned to Volkswagen AG and took over company-wide responsibility for electric propulsion.
Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann was born on April 1, 1961 in Twistringen in Lower Saxony. He studied electrical engineering at the Universities of Dortmund and Duisburg, where he was also awarded his doctorate. He began his professional career at the Fraunhofer Institute as a research engineer before moving to Motorola Semiconductor, where he worked as an engineer and strategy director responsible for the automobile industry. The father of three sons is a passionate marathon runner.
Michael F. Ableson
Member of the Management Board and GM Europe Vice President, Engineering
Michael Ableson has been appointed member of the Management Board, Adam Opel AG, effective September 1, 2012. In July 2012, Ableson was named GM Europe Vice President, Engineering.
Before, Ableson was Global Vehicle Line Executive for Compact Cars, based in Ruesselsheim, Germany. Ableson’s responsibilities included global engineering of compact vehicles such as the Opel/Vauxhall Astra and GTC.
Ableson has been with GM for more than 25 years and had led Global Advanced Vehicle Development prior to his appointment as Vehicle Line Executive.
Ableson, born in 1961, received a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, Main Campus, USA, and a Master’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley. Beside his mother tongue English he speaks French and Japanese.
Ulrich Schumacher
Member of the Management Board, responsible for Human Resources,
Director Labor Relations at Adam Opel AG,
GM Europe Vice President Human Resources
Before joining Opel, Ulrich Schumacher was Vice President Human Resources Europe at Toyota Boshoku. He also held an executive position in Human Resources at the automotive supplier Magna International Europe AG as well as a Board function at the insurance group Allianz and the vehicle manufacturer Ford. Ulrich Schumacher began his professional career in the European Ford Organization in Germany and England, followed by HR and Labor Relations management responsibilities at AutoEuropa (Ford/Volkswagen Joint Venture) in Portugal as well as Ford Motor Company in the USA.
Ulrich Schumacher was born on November, 27, 1957 in Düsseldorf. He studied law at the University of Cologne. Ulrich Schumacher is married and the father of two adult children.
Michael Lohscheller
Member of the Management Board and Chief Financial Officer
Michael Lohscheller has been appointed member of the Management Board as well as Opel/Vauxhall Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective September 1, 2012. Lohscheller was Executive Vice President and CFO at Volkswagen Group of America where he led a successful turnaround driving significant growth and profit increase.
Lohscheller is a German native with more than 20 years experience in senior Finance positions at companies such as Daimler, Mitsubishi Motors Europe and Volkswagen. He had broad business responsibilities for Finance, IT, Purchasing and Logistics.
Lohscheller, born on November 12, 1968, received a degree in European business studies from the University of Applied Sciences Osnabrueck, Germany, and at the University of Barcelona, Spain, in 1992. From 1993 to 1996 he studied European Marketing Management while working and completed a Master of Arts (MA). He is married with two children.
Peter Thom
Member of the Management Board Adam Opel AG, Vice President Manufacturing Europe
Peter Thom has been appointed to the Opel management board effective January 2012. In the Opel/Vauxhall organization he is responsible for manufacturing across all European plants.
Peter Thom was born on November 25, 1962 in Great Britain. He has a Bachelor Degree in Engineering from the Newcastle Upon Tyne University as well as a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Thom began his professional career in 1985 at Ford Motor Company, UK. In 1990 he moved to Toyota, UK, where he became Assistant Plant Manager Powertrain. In 1994, Thom joined General Motors and started his career at Vauxhall Motors in Ellesmere Port. He was Assistant Plant Manager at Opel Eisenach GmbH, Germany, from 1997 to 1999 and moved back to the UK, where he was Plant Manager of IBC Luton. In 2004 Peter Thom returned to Germany and took over the position of President of Opel Eisenach GmbH. In 2005 he was appointed Director Manufacturing Operations, GM do Brasil. Since 2009 he was Manufacturing Manager, GM Shanghai, China.
Peter Thom is married and has a daughter.
Susanna Webber
Member of the Management Board, Adam Opel AG Vice President, Purchasing & Supply Chain, Europe
In November 2010 Susanna Webber, Vice President, Purchasing and Supply Chain, was appointed to the Opel Management Board.
Susanna S. Webber began her career with General Motors in 1997 as a buyer in Troy, Michigan. A 13-year veteran of GM, she has held various positions in Purchasing and Cost Management.
In 2003, Susanna transferred to GM Europe as a fuel systems global commodity manager. While in Europe, she held numerous purchasing assignments. In 2004, she became director of HVAC Electrical Components with responsibility for wipers, locksets, latches and window regulators. Upon repatriation in 2006, Webber moved to Interior Purchasing as director of all hard trim products. From 2007-2008, Susanna held the position of executive director of Exterior Purchasing and in June 2008, Susanna was appointed executive director of GM Global Logistics. In September 1, 2010, Susanna Webber was named Vice President, Purchasing and Supply Chain, Opel/Vauxhall, located in Ruesselsheim, Germany.
Webber received a bachelor's degree in business management from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas and a master’s degree in international management from Thunderbird, School of Global Management in Glendale, Arizona.
Johan Willems
Management Board Member, Communications, Adam Opel AG
Johan Willems has been appointed to the post of Management Board Member responsible for communications with effect from February 1. He will be in charge of the entire Product, Brand, Corporate and Internal Communications of the Opel and Vauxhall brands.
Johan Willems has a long track record at Opel and GM. In 1992, he commenced his career at Opel Belgium in Antwerp. From February 2005 to November 2007 he was in charge of product and brand communications of Opel/Vauxhall and GM Europe. Willems was then called to GM’s headquarters in Detroit where he assumed the role of Director, Global Environmental and Advanced Propulsion Communications. He then moved to GM’s International Operations offices in Shanghai, China, where he last held the position of Vice President of Communications.
Born on April 9, 1960, Willems is a Belgian national who apart from his Flemish mother tongue also speaks French, German and English fluently. He began his career as an automotive journalist.
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