Tony Roma to Lead Global Corvette and Performance Cars Team

Roma is taking over as the Executive Chief Engineer for the Global Corvette from Tadge Juechter, who recently decided to retire after 47 years at GM.

We all knew the day it was announced that Tadge Juechter would be stepping down from his post, that GM would need to find a special talent to fill those shoes. Today, GM announced that the special talent would be Tony Roma. Roma has been elevated from his current position as chief engineer for the Cadillac CELESTIQ. His new title will be Executive Chief Engineer for the Global Corvette and Performance Cars team. His promotion will become effective July 1. Roma will also assume leadership of the Luxury and Performance Car team currently led by Brandon Vivian. Vivian will be moving to the Advanced Vehicle Development Center as Executive Chief Engineer and Brand Strategy Coordination.

“Tony is a natural fit to succeed Tadge, as well as the perfect choice to lead our new Global Corvette and Performance Cars team, given his many years working on Corvette powertrains and his more recent experience with the Cadillac V-Series, Blackwing and CELESTIQ,” said GM President Mark Reuss. “The bar is set very high for Corvette. Tony knows that, and he’s more than up to the challenge; he was made for this moment. I see a great future for Corvette and the other vehicles that Tony’s team will create.”

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Tony Roma – A Car Guy

What made Juechter so successful in his role was his accessibility and openness about the Corvette program. But it was also his passion as a car guy. He wasn’t in the game just for a paycheck. He actually loved developing, driving, and owning world-class sports cars. Roma seems to be cut from the same cloth. His personal car collection includes a C4 ZR1, C6 ZR1, C8 Z06, Cadillac CTS-V Wagon, and, hopefully soon, the C8 ZR1. That’s the kind of car collection we like to see from the guy taking over the reins as the leader of the Corvette program. But he is not just a collector, he is a driver as well.

“In addition to being a certified GM Level 6 driver, the highest rating, Roma is certified to drive on Germany’s Nürburgring circuit during the OEM-exclusive Industry-Pool sessions, where he has logged more than 1,500 laps. In fact, just days before he learned about his new assignment, Roma participated in the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring race.”

Roma History

Like many of you reading this, Roma has been a car guy his whole life. His mother owned a blue 1970 Chevy Nova. Roma claims that the first words he ever said were “blue Nova.” Roma also thanks his dad for his car-loving roots. The elder Roma also loved cars, and owned many cool rides that had a major influence on his son. “Tony truly lives and breathes cars, from design to the track,” said Ken Morris, senior vice president of Product Programs, Product Safety, Integration and Motorsports. “His passion and dedication to developing world-class production and performance vehicles is perfectly suited to leading the Global Corvette and Performance Cars team.”

Roma in His Own Words

“I’m approaching this opportunity with deep respect and admiration for the hard work from those who came before me, going back to the first-generation Corvette in the 1950s up to this day,” Roma said. “Corvette earned and continues to earn its place in American car history thanks to the people behind it, like Tadge Juechter. These are big shoes to fill, but we will work every day to continue the strong legacy this nameplate deserves.” Time will tell how Roma does as the leader of the Corvette program. But Corvette fans should be encouraged by his selection. Roma doesn’t come from an accounting background. He is a driver, collector, and racer. The exact type of person we want guiding the Corvette.

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Images: Chevrolet

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