General Motors (GM) announced Tuesday that Gerald Johnson, the long-time executive vice president of the company's Global Manufacturing and Sustainability, will retire after a 44-year tenure.

Johnson's successor will be Jens Peter "JP" Clausen, an industrial leader with extensive experience in global manufacturing, product engineering, and scaling operations. Clausen was a former executive of Tesla, Lego, and Google.

General Motors Appoints Jens Peter Clausen as New Head of Manufacturing 

Jens Peter Clausen's previous roles include spearheading the scaling of electric vehicle propulsion systems at Tesla's Gigafactory 1 and leading innovations in biomanufacturing at Zymergen. 

Clausen's expertise extends to simplifying product portfolios and driving technological innovation, making him well-suited to lead General Motors' Global Manufacturing and Sustainability division.

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Mike Abbott Steps Down From General Motors

In addition to Gerald Johnson's retirement and Jens Peter Clausen's appointment, General Motors also announced that Mike Abbott, the executive vice president of Software and Services, would be stepping down due to health reasons. 

Abbott, who joined the Detroit-based automobile manufacturer last May, was credited for advancing the company's software design, development, execution, and quality testing.

Baris Cetinok, the current vice president of the Product in Software and Services, has been named interim head of Software and Services while a search is conducted for Abbott's replacement.

CNBC reported that the changes would take effect on April 2, but General Motors said Johnson would remain with the company until the end of the year to work with Clausen for a smooth transition.

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