Gerry Dorizas
In a statement, Holden said Dorizas has left the company to “pursue other opportunities, effective immediately."
Dorizas was tasked with overseeing Holden’s end of manufacturing in 2017 and transformation into a full-line importer. He stepped into the role at a time when Holden’s sales were at its lowest level in 19 years, yet after one month into the job he boldly claimed that Holden would return to the number one spot in the Aussie market, a position it hasn’t held in 11 years.
Holden’s waning popularity has led to speculation that General Motors Company [NYSE:GM] may simply replace the brand with Chevrolet, but this is unlikely to be the case as in the coming years Holden’s lineup will consist of vehicles from both Chevrolet and Opel.
Furthermore, GM International Operations boss Stefan Jacoby, who originally hired Dorizas, said GM was 100 percent committed to the Holden brand and its long term success in Australia.
Filling in for Dorizas until a successor can be found will be current Holden CFO Jeff Rolfs.
As previously reported, Holden will end production in Australia in 2017. The automaker currently builds the Cruze compact as well as the Commodore range of vehicles, which includes the Chevy SS sold here.
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