Report: Jill Lajdziak to Retire from GM by End of Year, GM

[Charlie]

A new feeditems entry has been added:

Report: Jill Lajdziak to Retire from GM by End of Year, GM’s Steve Hill to Lead Shutdown of Brand

Jamie Lareau from Automotive News: Jill Lajdziak, who joined Saturn before its first car was sold and led the division through its demise last month, will retire from General Motors at the end of the year. Lajdziak, 52, will take vacation time until then, said spokesman John McDonald. In the interim, GM's Steve Hill, will coordinate the wind-down of the Saturn brand.

[Saturn#5]

Nice thinking Jill. Get off the sinking ship before it is too late!
Happy retirement! Thanks for all of your hard work for the best car company in American history. Saturn has built a fan based family that is rarely felt elsewhere.

Again, happy retirement and thank you.

[MMarlin]

Darn she did see the writing on that wall.

Let me see the last line in my letter to her was: "I do wish you success within the huge corporate monopoly of General Motors because you my dear will need it."

She surely would have needed it and I do believe she decided enough was enough.

[05SaturnRL]

Originally Posted by MMarlin

Darn she did see the writing on that wall.

Let me see the last line in my letter to her was: "I do wish you success within the huge corporate monopoly of General Motors because you my dear will need it."

She surely would have needed it and I do believe she decided enough was enough.

I don't think she has a choice, either retire now or eventually get the boot from GM. Wonder who is going to take her place the be over what's left of the brand? Fritzy? Lutz?

[eRic 02sc2]

One time, I met Jill at my Saturn retailer. She let me sit in a pre-production SKY that they were using for photos The folks standing around looked surprised that I fit inside it.

[MMarlin]

Originally Posted by 05SaturnRL

I don't think she has a choice, either retire now or eventually get the boot from GM. Wonder who is going to take her place the be over what's left of the brand? Fritzy? Lutz?

I am betting on "Dopey".

[RicksVue]

Originally Posted by 05SaturnRL

I don't think she has a choice, either retire now or eventually get the boot from GM. Wonder who is going to take her place the be over what's left of the brand? Fritzy? Lutz?

As the original story says, Steve Hill of GM will be taking over.

I'm sure that Jill had no desire to be part of the shutdown.

[GB1]

I think it's logical that she moves on after Saturn was axed. She did all she could, they just couldn't get the number of sales needed to continue the brand.

But Saturn made mistakes along the way too .. waiting too long to update their SC series, get a larger car and SUV, reliability problems that the SCs never had, lack of advertising (and poor advertising), and never defining themselves after they moved away from small, plastic sided vehicles. In the end they were just another GM division that really didn't differ from Pontiac or Chevy.

In Jill's defense, I don't know if some of this was her doing or the GM corporate structure's, which was infamous for bureaucracy and half measures. Maybe she'll write a book and let us know?

[Citation84]

Originally Posted by GB1

I think it's logical that she moves on after Saturn was axed. She did all she could, they just couldn't get the number of sales needed to continue the brand.

But Saturn made mistakes along the way too .. waiting too long to update their SC series, get a larger car and SUV, reliability problems that the SCs never had, lack of advertising (and poor advertising), and never defining themselves after they moved away from small, plastic sided vehicles. In the end they were just another GM division that really didn't differ from Pontiac or Chevy.

In Jill's defense, I don't know if some of this was her doing or the GM corporate structure's, which was infamous for bureaucracy and half measures. Maybe she'll write a book and let us know?

I would love to read that. I scored a copy of "On A Clear Day You Can See General Motors" by John Delorean and can't wait to start reading it.

Shame. It's doubtful that she had any direct decision making powers once Saturn was absorbed into GM. Jill seems like someone who stayed on because she really believed in the brand, so much so, that if it took becoming a tool for GM corporate she would have done it.

Being the "face" of Saturn didn't hurt. Probably the one good idea GM had for Saturn since the early 90s: friendly, accessible, straight talking, loyal = Jill Lajdziak. Someone in human form with all the attributes Saturn wanted to project with it's cars.

GM wasted her talents, just like they grabbed failure from the jaws of success with Saturn. Sad.

Write that book, Jill. Enquiring minds want to know.

[davidsky]

Is anything stopping her from working at another company?

[adventureoflink]

Originally Posted by davidsky

Is anything stopping her from working at another company?

If she's getting a big fat pension like some of the clowns pResident papa BOzo kicked out of G.M. (forget who they are ATM) who needs to work?

[davidsky]

Originally Posted by adventureoflink

If she's getting a big fat pension like some of the clowns pResident papa BOzo kicked out of G.M. (forget who they are ATM) who needs to work?

People like Jill L. tend to work because they enjoy doing it, not because they need the money.

[Citation84]

Originally Posted by davidsky

People like Jill L. tend to work because they enjoy doing it, not because they need the money.

Absolutely. I think she's a true believer and not one of the "bunch". Sad the way it turned out.

[mike08vue]

I tend to think she really tried--within the coprorate constraints--and that was just not ever going to be that sucessful. She, in all likelyhood, was also a victim of GM's shortsightedness. I would think she was lucky to be able to take retirement. Too bad the Penske deal fell thru--she could have soldiered on with Saturn perhaps. Now we'll never know. Yes, Jill write that book, there are so many unanswered questions; we would love to know.