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New Holden boss a troubleshooter

Greek-born Dorizas is not in Australia to win a popularity contest.

Gerry Dorizas has arrived at the most critical time in the history of the red lion and will take the company through the shutdown of local production, and the death of the Commodore, into a future that is still being defined.

Greek-born Dorizas is not in Australia to win a popularity contest, but he says he is at Holden because he believes in the brand and its future. "Everywhere I have been, there has been a fire," Dorizas tells Carsguide.

That means he's been through troubled times at Alfa Romeo, and Volkswagen, Toyota, Hyundai and even Mercedes-Benz. Most recently, he was in India with Volkswagen. And that's not a good place.

His plan, broadly speaking, is to return Holden to the top by putting its customers first. His target is number one in showrooms by 2020. But it's not going to be easy, or quick, which is why he is committed to at least seven years at the helm of Holden.

And there you have the big difference between Dorizas an every other CEO I have seen at Holden over the past 30-something years. Holden was always a stepping stone to somewhere else, even if it was the last stop on the road to retirement for German firebrand Peter Hanenberger and Aussie sales guru John Bagshaw. There has been a long succession of mid-level American managers who came and then moved on with a tick on their report card, even if blokes like Mark Reuss and Alan Batey continue their love affair with Holden and Australia from their new jobs in America.

"I have joined Holden. I have not joined GM," Dorizas says bluntly. He is not ready to share any product plans, but talks optimistically about changing the Holden culture from headquarters in Fishermans Bend down to the workshop floor in the most remote dealership. "The brand is made up of people. There is a lot of work for all of us. I'm ready to fight," he says. "We have to get our customers back. We have to delight our customers."

The reaction to Dorizas' plan is predictable and not particularly positive. "Tell him he's dreaming," says one rival executive. But he has a plan and he's been hired from the outside to make a difference on the inside. "What I ask is, give us a chance. Don't be so tough on us. We will walk the talk," Dorizas promises.

But 2020 is a long way off, and a return to number one in Australia at the expense of Toyota is every further from today's reality. So, what can we take away from the first Carsguide chat with The Chief?

Dorizas is smart and feisty, he has experience and good ideas, and he's not just a company man. The first change he has made is obvious. Every Holden executive now has a red lion badge on their suit lapel, which seems like a tiny thing but is a very real reflection of renewed pride in a brand which has lost its shine.

This reporter is on Twitter: @PaulWardGover