MANAGEMENT BOARD.

GM Vice President and President, Europe & Chairman of the Management Board, Adam Opel AG

Karl-Friedrich Stracke was appointed to GM Vice President and President of General Motors Europe in January 2012 and has been acting Chairman of the Management Board of Adam Opel AG since April 2011. He is in charge of all operations Opel/Vauxhall worldwide.

Stracke, who was born on June 22, 1956, in the German town of Lichtenfels-Goddelsheim, draws on 30 years of successful experience with Opel and GM. He began his career as a mechanical engineer in the area of body-in-white construction in 1979. Following additional studies in economics at the GM University in Flint, USA, he advanced to a management position in chassis construction in 1984. In 1991 he became head of the department.

After being appointed Chief Engineer of production technology for stamping and sub-assemblies in 1993, he took on a series of cross-departmental responsibilities, including the position of Manufacturing Director at the Opel plant in Bochum, Germany, from 1995 onward. Two successful model launches – Astra and Zafira – as well as the plant’s implementation of lean production methods took place during this period.

Karl-Friedrich Stracke brought this wealth of experience with him when he returned to Rüsselsheim in 1999 to assume the position of Director of Product Development. With state-of-the-art development technologies like virtual reality and simulation, he laid the groundwork for a highly efficient product development organization.

In 2004, Stracke took on the position of Executive Director GME Engineering, responsible for Opel/Vauxhall product development and Saab product design in Trollhättan, Sweden. In 2006, he assumed responsibility for global product design for body/interior and safety for all GM brands. Beginning in 2008, he headed the functions of global vehicle integration and proving grounds for all GM brands as Executive Director Vehicle Integration. From 2009 on, Karl-Friedrich Stracke served as Vice President, Global Vehicle Engineering, responsible for global car product development of GM. Under his leadership, engineers and technicians all over the world have developed innovative automobiles and technologies, including the revolutionary extended-range electrical cars Opel Ampera and Chevrolet Volt.

Karl-Friedrich Stracke is married and has two daughters. His hobbies include reading, tennis and jogging.

Member of the Management Board, Adam Opel AG Vice President Engineering Europe

Rita Forst was born March 31, 1955 in Wiesbaden. She studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Applied Sciences in Darmstadt, with a focus on energy and heat engineering. Rita Forst is married and has two grown sons.

In 1977 she began her career with Adam Opel AG in engine design. Seven years later, Forst spent 1984 in the USA, participating in a continuing education program for young engineers in Flint, Michigan. At the General Motors Institute she was awarded a Bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering.

As Project Engineer, Forst was responsible for coordinating various new engine development projects, including the introduction of the three-way catalytic converter and four-valve technology. As Group Engineer in the early 1990s, she managed design and development activities for the L850 light-alloy engine series, which was developed in Europe and used globally. In 1999 Forst assumed responsibility as Chief Engineer responsible for Manufacturing Engineering of all powertrain and transmission facilities in Europe.

She joined Opel Powertrain GmbH as Executive Director, Product Engineering in January 2001, and was later appointed Managing Director of this legal entity. Opel Powertrain GmbH is an operational division of GM Powertrain Europe. Up to September 2005, Forst was Managing Director of Opel Powertrain, where she was responsible for the development of the new diesel engine development center in Turin, Italy. Under her leadership, the company developed its frugal and environmentally friendly Eco-Tech engine series as well as the 6-speed automatic transmissions. From November 2007 on, Rita Forst has served as chairwoman of the Supervisory Board of the GM Powertrain Deutschland GmbH.

In November 2008, Forst came back to Rüsselsheim and undertook the operating leadership of the vehicle development of General Motors Europe. Rita Forst was named Member of the Management Board in January, 2010. She currently serves as Vice President Engineering, responsible for all European activities within the global Engineering team of General Motors.

Member of the Management Board and Chief Financial Officer

Mark N. James has been appointed member of the management board and chief financial officer of Adam Opel GmbH on January 15, 2010. He previously served as vice president, finance and administration, and chief financial officer of GM Daewoo Auto & Technology.

James began his GM career at GM’s European headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1991 as capital analysis manager. In 1994, he was appointed director of finance at Opel Turkey. In 1997, he joined Opel France, where he was responsible for budgets, accounting and planning.

In 1999, James returned to GM Europe, carrying out special projects such as the acquisition of Daewoo Motor Co. and a joint venture in Russia. From 2001 to 2005, he was controller of sales, marketing and customer care, and director of finance at Vauxhall Motors in the United Kingdom. Prior to joining GM Daewoo, James served as chief financial officer of GM’s ASEAN operations.

James received a bachelor’s degree in natural science from Cambridge University in 1983 and a master’s degree from the International Institute for Management Development in 1990.

Member of the Management Board, Adam Opel AG Vice President Personnel Europe

Holger Kimmes has been a member of the Opel Management Board since November 2007. He is responsible for Personnel Management and Social Affairs.

In January 2010 he was named Vice President Personnel and assumed responsibility for Personnel at Opel/Vauxhall Europe.

Born in Wiesbaden in 1958, Mr. Kimmes studied law at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz and worked as an attorney at a law firm in Wiesbaden. A specialist in employment law, he joined Opel in 1988 and in his capacity as HR Manager was involved in the setup of the Opel plant in Eisenach directly after the reunification of Germany. In 1992, he returned to Rüsselsheim as Manager for Central Labor Relations.

In 1998, he transferred to Zurich as Director, Industrial Relations, GME. From 2003 to October 2007, he was Executive Director, Labor and Employee Relations, General Motors Europe.

Holger Kimmes is married, with two children.

Member of the Management Board
Operations, Business Development & Corporate Strategies

Dr. Thomas Sedran has been appointed to the Opel management board effective April 1, 2012. He is responsible for Operations, Business Development and Corporate Strategies. Since 2006, Sedran was in charge of automotive business affairs for the global management consultants AlixPartners, based in Munich. In this position he worked very closely with Opel/Vauxhall. In his new role Sedran will be responsible for developing and implementing business strategies for the long term growth of the company in Europe and beyond.

Born on October 13, 1964 in Augsburg (Germany), Sedran has spent most of his career as a management consultant. Before his time at AlixPartners, he worked for Roland Berger Strategy Consultants where his last position was to be in charge of the Competence Center Automotive on a global level.

He has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Hohenheim, Germany, and a Ph.D. from the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, Germany.

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.

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.

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.