Smith was appointed chairman and CEO of GM in January 1981 and led the world's largest automaker until July 1990.
DETROIT (Reuters) - Former General Motors Corp <GM.N> Chief Executive Roger Smith, who oversaw a sweeping reorganization at the No. 1 U.S. automaker, has died after a brief illness, the automaker said on Friday. He was 82.
Smith was appointed chairman and CEO of GM in January 1981 and led the world's largest automaker until July 1990.
Under Smith, GM created the Saturn brand and acquired Electronic Data Systems and Hughes Aircraft Corp. He also formed joint ventures with Japanese automakers and invested heavily in robotics as GM began facing increasing foreign competition.
"Roger Smith led GM during a period of tremendous innovation in the industry," GM CEO Rick Wagoner said on Friday. "He was a leader who knew we had to accept change, understand change, and learn to make it work for us."
!ADVERTISEMENT!Prior to being elected chairman, Smith had been an executive vice president and a member of the GM board of directors since December 1974.
Smith was the target of filmmaker Michael Moore in "Roger & Me," which documented the effects of GM's production cutbacks on the town of Flint, Michigan.
Smith died on November 29, GM said. The cause of death was not specified.
(Reporting by Jui Chakravorty; editing by John Wallace)
