GM taps consulting firm executive to lead growth, innovation

DETROIT — General Motors has tapped Alan Wexler, former CEO of Publicis Sapient, a global digital business consulting firm, as its first senior vice president of innovation and growth.

Wexler, 56, starts Aug. 17 and will report to CEO Mary Barra, GM said in a statement Monday.

Wexler will be charged with creating, executing and sustaining corporate strategies and identifying growth and innovation opportunities throughout GM.

Wexler worked for entities of Sapient from 1998 until 2019. Since 2014, Wexler has been CEO and chairman of Publicis Sapient, CEO of SapientRazorfish and CEO of SapientNitro.

The most recent company he led, Publicis Sapient, has 20,000 employees and advises blue-chip companies on digital strategy and innovation, for both company operations and customer service.

“Alan brings a proven track record and decades of experience leading a culture of innovation and customer-driven technology solutions,” said Barra. “With Alan’s background, he is well positioned to help accelerate our transformation by challenging the status quo, disrupting the business and executing strategies that will lead to future growth.”

GM’s new innovation and growth organization will put several GM teams — such as Global Connected Services, Data and Customer Insight and Innovation and Strategy teams — under one umbrella, said spokesman Pat Morrissey.

The new role and Wexler’s appointment show “the emphasis that’s being put on continuing to look at ways to grow and expand the business,” Morrissey said.