Not to say that Mr. Whitacre is getting too old for his job, but he is looking to retire within the next two to three years. That makes for a fairly brief reign at the Ren Cen; not Fritz-Henderson-brief, but the news is rather surprising considering Big Ed was appointed permanent CEO by the board of directors just last week. After Whitacre’s departure, GM will look within the company to carry the baton that the will-be 71-year-old Texan is planning to hand off. Whitacre was named permanent CEO after GM’s quest to lure in another “outsider” turned up fruitless.

And don’t ask for the reason as to why the (elder) vice chairman Bob Lutz has no public plans of retirement – it is widely believed he is immortal.

[Source: Automotive News, sub. req.]