Kaher Kazem has been appointed
president and managing director of GM India, effective January 1, 2016. He will
be based at GM India’s Gurgaon headquarters. Kazem replaces Arvind Saxena in GM
India.
Kazem began his career with GM
in 1995 at GM Holden in Australia as a senior engineer. He later held several
leadership positions in GM Holden Manufacturing Operations.
In 2009, Kazem became vice
president of Manufacturing and Quality for GM Thailand/ASEAN. He was appointed
president and managing director of GM Uzbekistan in 2012. Prior to taking on
his new position, Kazem served as chief operating officer (COO) of GM India –
overseeing the industrial side of GM’s business in India – from August 2015.
Kazem has a bachelor’s degree
in electrical engineering from the University of Adelaide and a master’s degree
in business administration from La Trobe University.
Arvind Saxena, the outgoing MD
of GM India was appointed at the top position on March 1, 2014. Prior to that Saxena held senior positions in
Hyundai Motor India and later in Volkswagen India. Saxena began his career in
1983 as an Area Manager in the Motorcycles and Scooter Division of Escorts Ltd.
He moved to Bajaj Auto in 1992, where he held the post of Regional Manager of
North India. Three years
later, he joined Maruti Udyog as Regional Manager of Western India. After a
year at Fiat India in 1999 as General Manager, he returned to Maruti as General
Manager of Sales and later was promoted to Chief General Manager of Sales. He
then moved on to Hyundai Motor India where he rose to the rank of Member of the
Board & Director ( Marketing & Sales). Before joining GM India, Saxena
was the Managing Director of Passenger Cars (VW brands) and a member of the
Board of Directors of Volkswagen Group Sales India.