One phrase defines Denny Mooney's reign at the head of Holden, and his hopes for the future of GM's Australian arm and the company as whole and it is one he used often: "It's all about the product."
Holden's Chairman and Managing Director since January 2004, Mooney presided over the launch of the local carmaker's best ever product, the VE/WM range. He was also at the helm when the company dumped its European-sourced small and medium cars for what many believe were inferior cars from GM's Korean arm, Daewoo.
It's not always about 'good' product, it seems.
Mooney's appointment as the new Detroit-based Vice President of Global Vehicle Systems and Integration is also about product. Announced on Friday (May 25) as part of a raft of changes engineered by GM CEO, Rick Wagoner, it will see Mooney play a pivotal role in the development of future product -- right across the GM world.
Describing the role as "day-to-day, hands-on [over] all our product programs all around the world," Mooney will assume global responsibility for vehicle systems and oversee engineering teams that develop the 'hard parts' make up every model in the global GM product range.
Undoubtedly a promotion of note, it will also see the heads of GM's global programs (such as the Global Rear Wheel Drive program, the responsibility for which sits with Holden) report to the ex-Oldsmobile engineer.
He commences his new role on August 1.
In a solid position to affect the future of the Holden marque and the products it builds for Australia and exports to the world, he joked Holden's rear-wheel drive platform would have another friend in Detroit with his move. He described the future of the Holden 'owned' platform as "very bright".
"I obviously know the platform inside and out and I can tell you there's a tremendous amount of interest in Detroit and other areas... Plenty of interest -- even beyond the G8 and Camaro," he said.
Further, Mooney says Holden's local production facilities will be "fully utilised as far out as I can see". Indeed, in commenting on the future of Holden's Elizabeth (SA) plant and 4000-strong workforce, he even hinted that a wider product range could be developed and built Down Under.
"Our current plans have us [Australia] fully utilised and we haven't even started on our next generation [Commodore class] vehicle yet.
"The Camaro is going to be built in Canada and [though] I can't get into specifics, there are other vehicles [which could be built locally] being worked on in our [GM's] future portfolio. Quite honestly, we're doing some studies and we're going to try and push Elizabeth to the limit," he said.
Mooney is equally confident that new product -- including locally-produced vehicles -- will give Holden the opportunity to take back the number one spot Down Under despite a near-10 per cent share gap to Toyota.
"I absolutely think we can be number one. Our challenge is to fill some of the holes we have in portfolio," Mooney opined.
As an example he says Toyota still outsells Holden on SUVs by 4.5:1.
"We have plans to fill our product portfolio but it will be a few years before we get some of the entries that we need. I'm confident in what we have coming, but they're [Toyota] not going to stand still either."
He said the current strong Australian dollar and weak Yen posed particular challenges for his company and had benefited Toyota and the other Japanese brands. He commented that a turnaround in the exchange rates could however benefit the General in its chase.
Mooney described his tenure at Holden as "challenging" saying that his team had faced a "perfect storm" of oil prices, exchange rates and structural market changes during which Aussie new car buyers deserted large cars for fuel efficient small cars.
Though arguably, Holden was caught without the right product at the time, few predicted the speed of the market's movement. It was all about product again -- product in this case that Holden was not well placed to deliver.
"I'm really proud of the organisation. We faced what I consider almost the perfect storm of economic conditions... And I look at where we are today versus where we were three and a half years ago and I think the company's in a very strong position.
"I wouldn't mind if the economic conditions were a little easier but that stuff was out of our control and I like the positive way our organisation went at some of the issues.
"I'm happy at the way we launched the VW and WM -- don't think we could have asked for any more. The model mix and how we're selling today, I'm very, very happy with and the export opportunities that I do see, I'm pretty happy with today."
Mooney said Holden's integration into the GM global community was the highlight, however.
"Not just from an export standpoint -- though our export numbers are starting to speak from themselves both in the engine business and the vehicle manufacturing business -- but also in the product development arena.
"We have an engineering organisation now that is not only working on our Holden products but is doing global products for GM like the new Camaro. That's going to be exciting for us here in the long term," he said
After a period of heavy capital investment in production facilities and workforce restructuring, Mooney believes Holden is well placed to be "very competitive" on a global scale from a quality and efficiency/productivity standpoint.
He's also cautiously positive for the prospects of the three other vehicle manufacturing organisations Down Under.
"I think we could [sustain four carmakers]. Everybody wants to write off one or two, or maybe all of us, but I know enough of what is going on in some of the other operations and I think there's still a possibility. I know we're here to stay and they're [Ford] working hard. I have a lot of faith in that operation over at the Blue Oval."
Mooney will hand over the role of Holden Chairman and Managing Director to former Vauxhall exec and current GM Shanghai Executive Vice President, Chris Gubbey.
GM Shanghai is a 50/50 joint venture of General Motors and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp Group (SAIC). It builds and sells vehicles under the Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and Saab nameplates and is China's number one automaker. Gubbey joined GM Shanghai from GM's European operation but has also held executive positions with drivetrain specialist Hardy-Spicer, Ford and Toyota UK.
"Chris has been in our China joint venture for over seven years and I've known him the whole time he's been in China," Mooney said. "He's been one of the leaders of the growth we've experienced in China and [already] has a fairly good understanding of our operations in Australia."
According to Mooney, Gubbey spent a considerable amount of time with Holden's product planning and production teams in the lead up to the WL Statesman range heading to China under the Buick brand. A graduate in production engineering from Hatfield Polytechnic (UK), he has also been involved in the latest Buick-Holden collaboration, the WM-based Park Lane.
Gubbey will be a benefit to Holden as the company's dependence on exports and "integrated business" within the GM world increases, Mooney said.
The question on most Holden fans' lips, however, is will the ex-pat Englishman have the vision and desire to continue Holden's product and engineering based culture.
Re-ignited by CEO once-removed Peter Hanenberger and fostered under Mooney, it's this culture, described as a "petrolhead passion that pumps through the organisation" that arguably has reinvigorated Holden and won Mooney his shot at the big time. It's not surprising it is also what he says he will miss the most.
To comment on this article click here