More executive upheaval as GM changes CFO

Chris Liddell, the onetime executive hotshot hired from Microsoft and rumored to be a candidate for CEO, is leaving General Motors on April 1.

The 52-year-old will be replaced by Dan Ammann, 38, who is GM’s treasurer.

Liddell oversaw GM’s historic return to the stock market last year after its 2009 bankruptcy. He was lured from Microsoft as part of a team of new executives expected to inject the Detroit automaker with fresh blood and new ideas, but his abrupt departure now continues a string of upheaval in the executive suite.

Liddell joined GM in January 2010.

“Chris was a major contributor during a pivotal time in the company’s history,” Dan Akerson, GM chairman and CEO, said in a statement. “He guided the company’s IPO process and established a good financial foundation for the future.”

Liddell said in a statement: “I came to General Motors to be part of something great. My objective was to help rebuild this iconic company, and I am particularly pleased that through this process, we have also developed a strong successor in Dan Ammann.”

Ammann’s replacement at treasurer was not announced. He’s been with GM for one year.

By Greg Migliore