IW Hall of Famer Tim Solso Named Chairman of GM

Dec. 11, 2013

GM's new chairman, Tim Solso, helped transform Cummins, a manufacturer of diesel engines primarily for trucks, into a world leader in the “clean and green” movement through his championing of stricter carbon emission standards.

Dave Blanchard

Somewhat overshadowed by the announcement that General Motors (IW 500/5) has named Mary Barra as its first woman CEO is the news that Theodore (Ted) Solso, retired chairman and CEO of Cummins Inc. (IW 500/70) and a recent inductee into the IndustryWeek Hall of Fame, has been named GM's nonexecutive chairman. Both announcements came following current chairman and CEO Dan Akerson's announcement that he plans to retire on January 15, 2014.

Solso, who has served on GM's board of directors since 2012, helped transform Cummins, a manufacturer of diesel engines primarily for trucks, into a world leader in the "clean and green" movement through his championing of stricter carbon emission standards. He is also well known for his insistence on lean and Six Sigma processes to improve quality and eliminate waste.

In an October 2013 interview with IndustryWeek, Solso explained that Six Sigma so permeated the culture of Cummins during his tenure that "if people wanted to be promoted within the company, they either had to be a green belt, a black belt or sponsor three Six Sigma programs. It became in peoples' best interests to get on the Six Sigma bandwagon if they wanted to go forward with the company."

Solso, 66, spent 40 years at Cummins, retiring in 2011.

About the Author

Dave Blanchard | Senior Director of Content

Focus: Supply Chain

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During his career Dave Blanchard has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeek, EHS Today, Material Handling & Logistics, Logistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. He also serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2010), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its second edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.