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  In a statement issued this morning, Tim Lee, President of GM International Operations, said Deveraux?s experience and history made him the ideal man for the top job in Australia.

The Red Lion has a new head, with Mike Deveraux being named today as the new Chairman and Managing Director.

Deveraux, 44, has a 26-year career with General Motors, most recently as President and Managing Director of GM Middle East since November 2008.  He replaces Alan Batey, who after six months in the chair was been appointed Vice President of Sales and Service for Chevrolet in the US. Batey followed an18-month tenure by Mark Reuss, who is now President of GM North America.

Deveraux says he is looking forward to continuing the work of his predecessors.  "I am looking forward to continuing the great work of Mark Reuss and Alan Batey and working closely with the Australian and state governments as the industry recovers after the difficulties of 2009," he says.

"Having got to know Holden's vehicles very well from my time in the Middle East, I am really excited to be leading the company.  As a self-confessed ‘car guy’, I fully appreciate the strength of the design, engineering and manufacturing capability of Holden and its importance to the Australian people and economy.”

Tim Lee, President of GM International Operations, says Deveraux’s experience and history make him the ideal man for the top job in Australia.

“Coupled with an absolute passion for cars, Mike brings rare experience across almost every area of the automotive business including manufacturing, product development and senior management roles in GM’s international operations, marketing, sales and aftersales including the then newly formed e-Business group," Lee says.

“Mike’s most recent outstanding work in the Middle East, which has traditionally been an important export market for Holden, makes him a strong advocate for his new home and the historical brand even before he steps on Australian soil."

Devereux joined GM in 1984 as an engineering student in the car giant’s  St Catharines Engine and Foundry Complex in Ontario, Canada. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from the GMI Engineering & Management Institute and a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard University.