Bob Lutz, Vice-Chairman of GM, on Why He Believes MBAs' Focus on Cost Cutting Doesn't Work

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Bob Lutz is one of the most experienced and high-profile auto executives in the world. Having been in the business for almost 50 years, he has left an indelible mark on all three of the big US automakers - most recently GM, where he reinvigorated its previously undistinguished vehicle lineup. Lutz will discuss his belief of the need of "product guys" (of either gender), not just in the auto industry but in every industry,

According to Lutz, GM's leadership got too smart for its own good, and swayed by spreadsheets and numbers, management was convinced by the "bean counters" to shift their focus from product excellence to chasing that bottom line - and decades of decline followed. Lutz was hired out of retirement by GM. As vice chairman, he launched a war against the penny-pinching number-crunchers and championed the same creativity, design, and customer loyalty that had put GM on top in the first place. According to analysts after emerging from bankruptcy in 2009, GM is back on track.

Although known for building powerful, muscular automobiles, Lutz is also a forward-thinking realist who has stated that the electrification of the automobile is inevitable. He was behind the development of the first clean car, Chevrolet's Volt, a hotly-anticipated battery powered electric car that can be charged by plugging into a home electrical outlet.

He has been the force behind the renaissance of fresh, bold designs and performance engineering in US cars - such as the Pontiac Solstice, Cadillac CTS, the re-designed Chevrolet Malibu, and the Dodge Viper.

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