GM announced that they’ve brought on eBay’s CEO onto their 11 member board of directors.
It used to be that we bought some of our largest purchases in person but times have changed and now purchases like cars and houses can be made as easily as over your phone. In order to change with the times according to the Detroit Free Press in an announcement earlier today ( Apr. 19,2018) Mary Barra has gone ahead and brought on president and CEO of eBay, Devin Wenig, who’ll be joining the ten other members of the eleven-member board. Wenig has been CEO of eBay since 2015 when Paypal split with the e-commerce giant.
“Devin brings significant expertise in technology, global operations and strategic planning to our board,” said GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra. “His experience in customer-facing roles and insights into digital marketplaces will enhance our current and future business priorities at a critical time in the company’s journey.”
Wenig gained notoriety on eBay as marketplace chief. During his tenure, the number of active users rose from 99 million to 160 million after Wenig pushed for a focus on m-commmerce or shopping on mobile devices.
Before, when people wanted to buy a car and if they were savvy enough, they’d do a bit of research from magazines and newspaper reviews here and there, maybe ask friends and neighbors for advice. Then they’d head to a dealership where they’d trust the salesmen to help them make an informed decision.
Now, car buyers are more informed than ever. They’re already armed with all the information they need, know what cars are available at a dealership and in surrounding dealerships before they even set foot on a showroom floor, and are oftentimes more informed on the product than the salesperson. The showroom floor is now found on a car company or dealership’s website. And the same can be said for the car buying experience for buyers in other markets.
Perhaps Wenig will help GM to better sell to an informed consumer. Maybe we’ll see a closing of franchised dealerships with most of the nitty-gritty parts of car buying now done online.
I’ll be keen to see his name pop up more on the news in regards to GM and will be curious about the advice he doles out to Barra and the rest of GM’s board.
