De Nysschen’s Prickly Message: Back Off on Cadillac Strategy

Johan de Nysschen, who took over as president of Cadillac in August, has a message for critics who question his plans to overhaul the brand: "Don't mess with me."

In a lengthy Facebook post, de Nysschen blasts his critics, starting with his explicit marching orders from General Motors Co. CEO Mary Barra and President Dan Ammann to restore Caddy's image of 60 years ago. "Doing what has always been done won't yield a different result," he points out.

De Nysschen insists the decision to move Caddy headquarters to New York City has nothing to do with Detroit or where he wants to live. "If we don't move, nothing will change," he declares. He says the brand must create its own mindset and processes free of cross-brand considerations and the distractions of GM corporate operations.

As for Caddy's new alphanumeric naming system, de Nysschen sniffs, "I do not determine strategy based on the unfiltered observations of people who do not have a 360 understanding of the problem."