Kiwi Liddell to be considered for General Motors CEO position, says chairman

General Motors' new chief financial officer, New Zealander Chris Liddell, will be a candidate for the chief executive's job, and GM expects to bring back hundreds of dealers who lost their franchises, the interim CEO says.

Chairman and interim CEO Ed Whitacre also said he was not optimistic that GM would be able to sell its troubled Swedish Saab brand, and that efforts were under way to close it.

Mr Whitacre said he would consider Mr Liddell, the CFO hired from the same post at Microsoft, in the search for a new CEO.

Mr Liddell announced before GM hired him that he would leave Microsoft to pursue a higher-ranking position.

He was hired last month as CFO, the first permanent top manager hired from outside the traditionally insular GM since the company left bankruptcy protection in July. He replaced Ray Young, who transferred to GM's China operations.

At Microsoft, Mr Liddell developed a reputation for holding down costs while building up cash. He instituted a plan to cut US$3 billion (NZ$4b) from the technology company last year that included its first mass layoff, wage freezes and cuts in travel and other expenses. GM is majority owned by the federal government and Mr Liddell was granted an exemption from government-imposed pay caps to take his post.

He will be paid US$750,000 this year, but will get up to another US$5.45m in stock starting in 2012 if GM sells its shares to the public.

- AP