The 20 People to Watch
1. Fritz Henderson
General Motors president/COOThe next CEO or unemployed?2008 Rank: 9
Why he's passed his boss, Rick Wagoner: The 50-year-old former GM Europe chief is the obvious replacement for Wagoner, who turns 56 in February. Question is, will that happen in nine years, or is Wagoner a short-timer?
Why he may be out the door with Wagoner: If GM doesn't have $8 billion in federal-loan guarantees to see it through January, it may be shut down by now. It appears that Henderson and Wagoner don't have a contingency plan beyond a bailout.
The Chrysler deal: Henderson is widely rumored to be the GM executive working hardest to buy Chrysler in last year's failed "merger" talks.
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