Chris Gubbey was appointed GM Europe vice president and managing director, GM Russia and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), effective February 1, 2008. In this position, Gubbey is responsible for continuing General Motors' strategy of rapidly expanding its business in one of the fastest-growing car markets in the world.
Before moving to Moscow, Gubbey was chairman and managing director of GM Holden Ltd, where he oversaw GM's operations in Australia and New Zealand from July 2007. Prior to joining GM Holden, Gubbey was executive vice president of Shanghai GM, General Motors' flagship joint venture in China. Before moving to China in 2000, Gubbey was manufacturing director and a member of the board of directors of Vauxhall Motors Ltd. in the United Kingdom.
From 1995 to 1997, Gubbey was operations director of GKN Hardy Spicer Ltd. Between 1991 and 1995, he was assistant general manager of Toyota Motor U.K. Ltd. He began his automotive industry career in 1979 with Ford Motor Co., where he held the positions of assembly manager and process engineering manager.
Gubbey has a bachelor of science degree (with honors) in production engineering from Hatfield Polytechnic in the United Kingdom. He is an honorary citizen of both Shanghai and Yantai, China.
