GM President Seeking Out Israeli Tech, Report Says

Dan Ammann, the president of General Motors, recently visited Israel in a trip that was not publicized, Yisrael Hayom reported. Ammann came to inspect GM’s operations in Israel, and to examine new technologies developed by Israeli start-ups.

Ammann was accompanied by a large number of managers and senior technology staff, the report said. The visit centered on the company’s research and development facility in Herzliya, where some 200 people, mostly engineers, are employed. The report said that the facility was set to continue growing, and that GM is actively looking for more personnel.

Ammann has been president of General Motors since 2014. He is responsible for managing the company’s business operations around the world, the global Chevrolet and Cadillac brand organizations, global product planning, new business development and GM Financial, according to GM.

Israel has in recent years become a center for car technology, as companies race to build driverless and technology-assisted vehicles. Nearly all major car manufacturers have research and development labs here. GM has had a presence in Israel since at least 2011, but they have since been joined by Hyundai, BMW, Skoda, Ford, Fiat, Honda, Volvo, Renault-Nissan, Toyota, China’s Qoros and truck maker Iveco. All these companies either have full R&D centers in Israel, are cooperating with Israeli tech firms to develop new products and systems, or have run events, such as hackathons, to reach out to start-ups in the car tech space.