The executive, Carmen Benavides, had served as director of safety investigations and safety regulations, serving as the liaison between the company and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Benavides’ name appears in documents related to the ignition-switch recall, including a 2013 letter sent from NHTSA investigations director Frank Borris that accused the company of being “slow to communicate” and “slow to act” in contrast to other major automakers.
Despite the reassignment, the executive will remain among the top ranks at GM to serve as the director of safety improvement initiatives, according to The Detroit News.
The current director of field product investigations, Brian Latouf, will serve as Benavides’ replacement.
Under new leadership of CEO Mary Barra, the company appears to have ousted several executives and fired engineers that were involved in the switch redesign and early investigations. The engineering department has been split into two divisions, including a new “product integrity” unit.
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