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News In Brief

Final Note: Akerson takes the helm at GM

Kai Ryssdal Sep 1, 2010

This final note today, a warm welcome to Daniel Akerson. If you’ve never heard of Mr. Akerson, you will. He’s the new CEO of the car company American taxpayers own. Today was his first day on the job at General Motors.

Not coincidentally, it’s worth a mention that we learned this morning GM sales last month were lousy, down 7 percent from a month earlier. Ford was off, too. Chrysler was the lucky winner, up 7 percent.

Akerson was previously a managing director of The Carlyle Group. He joined the GM board of directors in July 2009 and was elected CEO last month when the former CEO Ed Whitacre resigned. Whitacre will remain chairman.

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