Adam Owens, GM Head of Government Affairs, Europe & Strategic Markets
ZURICH, Switzerland – Today, General Motors (GM) announced the appointment of Adam Owens to the position of GM Head of Government Affairs, Europe & Strategic Markets, based in Zurich, Switzerland.
With nearly 20 years of experience in both corporate international government affairs and U.S. government foreign policy agencies, Owens will lead policy strategy and engagement, as GM grows its agile start-up business in Europe with electric vehicles at the core. Owens will also lead government engagement for GM’s Strategic Markets business.
Prior to this new role, Owens was the Chief of Staff for Global Public Policy at GM, where he steered the development and execution of the strategic and operational plan for the government affairs team in the U.S. and global markets. Before becoming Chief of Staff, Adam led GM’s Washington, D.C. engagement with the diplomatic community and U.S. policymakers, where he focused on foreign policy and trade issues.
During his time at GM, Owens has helped shape provisions of the U.S., Canada, Mexico (USMCA) free trade agreement; developed effective advocacy and engagement strategies to mitigate commercial risks related to the semiconductor crisis for the automotive industry; and helped develop, guide, and implement smart policies that allowed GM’s international operations to reopen in a safe manner in markets worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Before joining GM, Owens managed European government relations at Lockheed Martin. Owens also worked in various U.S. Government roles for nearly a decade before moving to the private sector, including serving as a foreign policy advisor at the Pentagon and as an international partnership engagement expert for the U.S. Navy.
“As GM reenters the European market, we are excited to have Adam leading the Government Affairs team with his extensive experience in policy strategy and engagement. Adam’s proven background and expertise in working across jurisdictions and governments will be instrumental for GM’s ability to achieve its strategic objectives in Europe and other key markets around the world,” said Daniel Frakes GM International Affairs Vice President.
Adam leads a team including Head of EU Affairs, Ludovic Basset, who is based in Geneva, Switzerland.