General Motors takes an unorthodox route in its communications department by hiring Gary Grates, president of GCI Boxenbaum Grates, to supervise its employee relations team.
About 100 employee communications specialists now report to Grates rather than a GM exec. Grates, in turn, reports to Steven Harris, GM VP of communications. GM execs say the
change addresses a widespread lack of understanding of key messages among employees.
(Grates: 212/537-8200)