GM turns to former China chief to run Opel General Motors is set to appoint a former Volkswagen manager as chief executive of Opel/Vauxhall to lead the transformation of the lossmaking European car business. Karl-Thomas Neumann, 51, the former head of VW's operations in China, is set to be announced as the new Opel boss following a meeting of the Opel's supervisory board later on Thursday. He is expected to commence his duties on March 1, people close to the company said. Opel declined to comment. Mr Neumann is taking on one of the toughest jobs in global carmaking. Opel is struggling to halt a decline in market share and its factories, like those at rivals Ford, PSA Peugeot Citroën and Fiat, are operating well below capacity due to a large decline in European car sales. Following the departure last July of former chief Karl-Friedrich Stracke, Opel has been led on a temporary basis by Thomas Sedran, a restructuring expert who became deputy chief executive and is expected to remain at the company. Mr Stracke was the latest in a succession of Opel managers to be forced out after failing to stem Opel's losses, which total some $15bn over the past decade. GM is pressing Opel to return to profitability by the midpoint of the decade which it aims to do via a series of new models, efforts to restore its damaged brand and tight control of fixed costs. GM also hopes its alliance with struggling PSA Peugeot Citroën will develop and that by sharing vehicle platforms and cutting costs in purchasing and logistics it will gain some breathing space. Mr Sedran has been given support in recent months by Steve Girsky, GM deputy chairman, who was despatched to Europe from Detroit to plot a way out of the mire. Mr Neumann holds a doctorate in electrical engineering and spent part of his early career at VW. He became chief executive at parts supplier Continental in 2008 but when rival Schaeffler took control the following year he returned to VW following a boardroom spat. He presided over VW's hugely profitable China unit and was among a small circle of managers tipped one day to succeed Martin Winterkorn as chief executive. But he lost favour in a reshuffle of senior VW managers last year and was replaced as China chief and not immediately offered another position. Mr Neumann was soon linked with the vacant Opel job but his candidacy was delayed by uncertainty over how much gardening leave he would need to serve after leaving VW. Opel managers and trade union leaders are currently locked in talks over wage and other concessions that will allow a plant in Bochum to stay open until 2016. Should the talks fail the German plant could close as soon as the end of 2014. The talks are due to conclude by the end of February giving Mr Neumann the chance to start work after any unpleasant decisions are taken.