Bertsch takes top IT spot at Chrysler; Unger to retire

Bertsch: Worked under Unger

AUTO PEOPLE

Ralph Kisiel
Automotive News
September 3, 2007 - 12:01 am EST

DETROIT -- Jan Bertsch is the new chief information officer at Chrysler LLC.

Bertsch, 50, replaces Sue Unger, who was chief information officer and a senior vice president for DaimlerChrysler AG.

Unger, 57, has chosen to stay with the Daimler side rather than returning to the new, privately held Chrysler. She will remain with DaimlerChrysler and help with the transition before retiring at the end of this year.

Bertsch joined DaimlerChrysler in 2001, after spending a combined 22 years at Ford Motor Co. and Visteon Corp. She worked under Unger as chief information officer of the Chrysler group and Mercedes-Benz of North America.

Unger will retire at year end.

Bertsch and Unger were among the 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry honored by Automotive News in 2005.

Bertsch had been vice president of Chrysler group sales and marketing finance when she was chosen to replace Karenann Terrell as the Chrysler group's chief information officer in 2006. Bertsch was responsible for overseeing information technology development and maintenance for the Chrysler group and Mercedes-Benz sales systems for the NAFTA region.

She earned her bachelor's degree in finance at Wayne State University in Detroit and her master's degree in business from Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Mich.

Bertsch broke into the industry in 1979 as a financial analyst at Ford.

"The spinoff of Visteon from Ford was a tremendous experience," she told Automotive News in 2005. "I had the ability to play a key role as treasurer of Visteon to take the company public, establish a new organization and integrate new policies and procedures."