GM to Name New President, Source Says

General Motors Corp. will name G. Richard Wagoner Jr., 45, its new president and chief operating officer, elevating him from chief of North American operations, according to a source familiar with the plans. GM will announce the promotion today in Detroit as it also merges its North American and international auto businesses in a bid to cut an unspecified number of jobs and save costs, the source said. Wagoner will become GM’s top car executive worldwide and a strong contender to eventually succeed John F. Smith Jr., GM’s chairman and chief executive. Louis Hughes, until now head of GM’s international operations and Wagoner’s equal, will become a director responsible for new businesses and technologies, the source said. “He’s a good listener,” David Cole, a University of Michigan analyst with close ties to GM executives, said of Wagoner, who joined GM in 1977 and was tapped for important jobs while still in his 20s. Succession has been an issue at GM, where Vice Chairman Harry Pearce is being treated for leukemia. Ronald Zarrella, 48, currently head of GM’s sales, service and marketing operations, will be named president of GM’s North American operations, according to the source.