Microsoft CFO Joins GM as Vice Chairman, CFO

The executive appointments within American manufacturer GM continued yesterday with the announcement that Chris Liddell, CFO for Microsoft Corp since May 2005, has been named vice chairman and chief financial officer for the carmaker.

"Chris brings a depth and experience to this job that were unmatched in our search for a new financial leader," Ed Whitacre, GM interim CEO said in a release.

"Chris will lead our financial and accounting operations on a global basis and will report directly to me. We're also looking to his experience and insights in corporate strategy as a member of the senior leadership team in helping our restructuring efforts."

The appointment comes after at the beginning of the month Whitacre said in a webchat that the company has narrowed down the search for a new CFO to a few persons but he already has a real good candidate for this particular position. As promised, the name of the new CFO has been announced in two weeks.

Liddell will take charge of the carmaker's finances when the new year begins. His background at Microsoft includes responsibilities in the areas of worldwide finance organization, including overseeing acquisitions, corporate strategy, treasury activities, tax planning, accounting and reporting, internal audit, and investor relations.

The new CFO has been director of the New Zealand Rugby Union and governor of the New Zealand Sports Foundation and member of the Securities and Exchange Commission's Advisory Committee on Improvements to Financial Reporting.