Longtime global auto executive Bo Andersson, who once led General Motors’ massive global purchasing operations, has been appointed CEO of UzAuto Motors and UzAuto Motors Powertrain.
Those two entities are the biggest manufacturing subsidiaries of UzAvtoSanoat, an auto company owned by Uzbekistan’s government that produces Chevrolet vehicles under a technical license agreement with GM.
Andersson’s leadership experience at multiple manufacturers and suppliers will be optimal as the two subsidiaries deal with the ongoing global semiconductor shortage and other crises, UzAuto Motors said in a press release.
Andersson, 65, most recently founded Ivanhoe IV, a Michigan-based global investment firm.
He also previously held a top executive role at Yazaki Corp., a leading global supplier of wire harnesses. He was CEO of the Japanese company’s North America division and president of both its North America and Europe arms from 2017 to early 2021. In March, he stepped down to a senior executive advisory role.
Before he joined Yazaki, Andersson was CEO of Russian automaker AvtoVAZ from 2013 to 2016.
He was ousted as CEO in 2016 — when Russia’s auto industry was affected by economic recession — and blamed for nearly $1 billion in losses.
Before his time in Russia, Andersson was probably best known for his tenure at GM, highlighted by his role as head of global purchasing from 2001 to 2009. He presided over sweeping changes to GM’s global procurement and supply chain functions — and his aggressive negotiations with suppliers saved the company billions in outlays as it faced eventual bankruptcy.
He left during the automaker’s massive reorganization during the Great Recession.
The Swedish entrepreneur holds a bachelor’s degree from Stockholm University and completed Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program. He is also a graduate of Sweden’s Military Academy.
Andersson made his first foray into the auto industry in 1987, when he became a purchasing manager at Sweden’s now defunct Saab Automobile.
