Jaclyn McQuaid, President and Managing Director of GM Europe
ZURICH, Switzerland – Today, General Motors (GM) announced the appointment of Jaclyn McQuaid to the position of President and Managing Director of GM Europe, where she will lead the implementation of GM’s new mobility start-up business.
McQuaid comes to the European leadership role with deep experience overseeing the development of GM’s most successful vehicle programs, most recently in the global leadership position of Executive Chief Engineer for Full Size Trucks, where she helped GM achieve and retain the top position in full size-truck retail market share in the U.S.
She begins her new role on November 1 and will be based in Zurich, Switzerland.
GM Senior Vice President and President GM International, Shilpan Amin, said McQuaid would be responsible for continuing the transformation of GM’s European operations into a nimble, non-traditional mobility start-up, with an all-electric vehicle portfolio at its core.
“Jaclyn comes to this important leadership role, having played an integral part in the development of many of our most successful products, including the integration of leading-edge technology and connectivity,” said Amin.
“Throughout her 22-year career at GM, Jaclyn has demonstrated a laser focus on the needs of our customers and has a proven track record of successfully leading global vehicle programs providing her also insights into the European markets – key attributes that will be critical to our success in disrupting mobility in the region.”
Since November 2021, GM has significantly expanded its operations in Europe, as it prepares to launch a new, non-traditional start-up, leveraging GM’s global growth investments. In the past year, GM Europe has grown its customer and technology-focused teams, announced a European Design Centre based in the UK, and continued to grow its IT innovation hub in Ireland.
McQuaid said she was excited to move to Europe to lead the new mobility start-up through a dynamic growth phase.
“European customers are switching to electric vehicles at a faster rate than anywhere in the world, and GM is investing $35 billion through 2025 in electric and autonomous vehicle technology to be a major driver of our industry’s transformation,” said McQuaid.
“Our flexible Ultium battery platform and the breadth and depth of our EV portfolio enable GM to offer customers in Europe a variety of products and services to support their lifestyles while also contributing to a future of zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion.”
McQuaid is succeeding Mahmoud Samara, who has elected to leave GM for family reasons, having led the transformation of GM’s Europe business over the past year.
Amin paid tribute to Samara for his leadership of the Europe business and his contribution to GM over almost two decades.
“Mahmoud has had an incredible global career at General Motors, including key roles as Vice President Cadillac Sales, Service and Marketing where he led the transformation of the brand into an all-electric future in North America; Global Director, Customer Experience responsible for CX transformation strategies and digital experiences; Cadillac Regional Director Western Region (USA); Managing Director for Cadillac Canada where he delivered three consecutive years of record retail sales results; and a number of leadership roles in manufacturing, sales and aftersales in North America and the Middle East,” said Amin.
“In every role he has held at GM, Mahmoud has brought unrivalled energy, leadership and strategy. His most recent leadership role has been no exception, as he laid the groundwork for an exciting future for GM in Europe – assembling an incredible team and setting a course for disruption and growth in these important markets.”
Samara said it was a difficult decision to leave GM at a time when the business in Europe was poised for significant growth.
“I am hugely grateful for the opportunities and rich life experiences I have had at GM and the many lifelong friends I have made over the past 18 years with this amazing company,” said Samara.
“I am confident that, under Jaclyn’s leadership, the immensely talented and customer-obsessed GM Europe team will not only be successful, but will also drive meaningful change in mobility in Europe, as well as helping to make our communities more sustainable for the future.”
McQuaid is succeeding Mahmoud Samara, who has elected to leave GM for family reasons, having led the transformation of GM’s Europe business over the past year.