Pontiac Chief to Run GM’s Saturn Project

William Hoglund, who helped re-establish Pontiac as a leading maker of sporty cars, was chosen today to head General Motors Corp.’s high-technology Saturn car project.

Hoglund, 50, becomes president of Saturn Corp., succeeding Joseph Sanchez, who was appointed Jan. 7 and died less than three weeks later of a heart attack at 54.

Hoglund comes from a GM family. His brother, Peter, 58, is vice president and general manager of GM’s Electro-Motive division, the locomotive manufacturer based in La Grange, Ill.

His father Elis, ran GM’s overseas operations for years. He died in 1978.

Group Executive

Until last summer, Hoglund ran Pontiac as vice president and general manager. In July, he was promoted to group executive in charge of operating staffs.

Hoglund was a finance man for many years at GM and has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Princeton University and a master’s in business administration from the University of Michigan.

Saturn is GM’s most important new project. The world’s leading auto maker plans to totally rework the way cars are made through advanced techniques in robotization, computerization and labor relations.

The goal is the production of half a million subcompact cars a year on one site with 6,000 employees. The first car is planned for 1989 or 1990.