BY GREG GARDNER AND BRENT SNAVELY
Today, GM said that its flagship Chevrolet brand — which is critical to helping the post-bankruptcy GM compete with Ford, Toyota and Honda — would be getting new leadership.

GM said in a statement that Brent Dewar, who had served as vice president of the global Chevrolet brand since July and has been with GM for 31 years, has “elected to retire effective April 1, 2010 to dedicate more time to his family and to pursue personal interests.”

Until April, Dewar will be on an unspecified special assignment for GM’s new North American President Mark Reuss.

Dewar is to be replaced by Jim Campbell, who will take the title of Chevrolet brand manager. Campbell, who joined GM in 1988, has been responsible for GM’s fleet and commercial business.

The changes were announced by Susan Docherty, GM’s new vice president of sales, service and marketing.

Additionally, Michael D. Richards is leaving GM after joining the automaker Dec. 1 as the head of the Buick and GMC brands, two people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg News. No replacement has been named.

A GM spokeswoman declined to comment about the report.

Dewar initially was named to his Chevrolet post in July by former GM CEO Fritz Henderson. Richards, a former Ford executive, also was hired by Henderson.

On Dec. 1, Henderson resigned, and Whitacre immediately took on the CEO role. Three days later, Whitacre announced a management shake-up.

Whitacre has made it clear that he expects quick progress from all executives.

Through November, Chevrolet sales in the United States were down 27%. However, that performance is better than the rest of GM’s brands.

Meanwhile, Whitacre said Tuesday that he had found “a real good candidate” for chief financial officer to succeed current CFO Ray Young. Young is still in the job, and Whitacre expects an announcement before the year’s end.

David Cole, chairman for the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, said Dewar’s departure could be related to buyout packages GM has offered to executives, as well as the management turmoil occurring inside the company.

“I think there will be a flurry of those here in the next couple of weeks,” Cole said.

Contact GREG GARDNER: ggardner@freepress.com.

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