GM Creates New Safety Chief Position

It's safe to say GM is struggling a little bit in the safety department right now—and today the company announced it has created a new position, VP of global vehicle safety. Jeff Boyer, whom the Wall Street Journal calls an "engineering veteran," will take on the role, and will be in charge of recalls and all other safety matters; he'll provide regular reports to CEO Mary Barra. GM currently faces four federal investigations related to a delayed recall that has been blamed for hundreds of deaths. The company also announced a separate recall yesterday.

"This new role elevates and integrates our safety process under a single leader so we can set a new standard for customer safety with more rigorous accountability," Barra said in a statement. "If there are any obstacles in his way, Jeff has the authority to clear them. If he needs any additional resources, he will get them." Boyer has worked for GM since 1974, and was most recently executive director of engineering operations and systems development. The New York Times reports that in an internal video sent to employees yesterday, Barra noted with regard to the botched recall: "Something went very wrong in our processes in this instance, and terrible things happened." (More General Motors stories.)