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Flags fly outside the General Motors world headquarters building.
General Motors' President of North America Alan Batey plans to retire in 2019 after 40 years at the Detroit automaker, the company said Thursday.
His role will be filled by Barry Engle, who currently runs GM's international business, starting April 1. Engle has been with GM since 2015, beginning his tenure at the automaker as executive vice president and president of South America. he was promoted to head of all GM's international operations in 2017.
Engle has held a variety of positions elsewhere in the automotive industry, including 13 years at Ford, a CEO of an agricultural equipment company, and CEO of an electric vehicle startup called THINK. He was also a Chrysler Plymouth Jeep dealer.
Batey will stay on as an adviser.
Julian Blissett, who is currently executive vice president of GM-SAIC, the automaker's joint partnership with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, will become senior vice president of GM International.
Batey has been in his current role since 2014, and has also led Global Chevrolet since 2013. He was vice president of U.S. sales and service from 2012 to 2013, and vice president of U.S. sales and service for Chevrolet from 2010 to 2012. Batey started with GM in 1979 and has held positions around the world, including the United Kingdom, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, Germany, Netherlands, Korea, and Australia.
Shares of GM were down 1.5 percent on Thursday.
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