Carl-Peter Forster has been General Motors Vice President and President of GM Europe, based in Zurich, Switzerland, since June 2004. Effective January 1, 2006, he was appointed GM Group Vice President and a member of the GM Automotive Strategy Board and took over the role as the senior-ranking executive for GM’s activities in Europe. He has been Chairman of the Opel Supervisory Board since June, 2004 and Chairman of Saab since April, 2005.
Forster was born in London, UK, on May 9, 1954 and raised in London, Bonn and Athens. He holds a diploma in Economics from Bonn University and a degree in Aviation and Space Technology from Munich Technical University.
Carl-Peter Forster started his career in 1982 as a consultant for McKinsey & Company in Munich. In 1986, he joined BMW where he held various leadership positions before becoming Managing Director of BMW South Africa in 1996 and the board member responsible for all vehicle development projects in 1999.
Prior to being appointed President of GM Europe and Chairman of the Opel Supervisory Board, Forster was Chairman and Managing Director of Opel from April 2001. In his three years in that position, Forster initiated far-reaching restructuring programs and a major product offensive focusing on innovative design and industry-leading build quality.
