Can you imagine what it would be like to be in charge of the most important vehicle in the GM portfolio? Well, Sheri Hickok now knows, because she's the new chief engineer for the next-generation Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, tentatively due out for the 2018 or 2019 model year.
According to Automotive News, Hickok's career is full of important engineering jobs (10 in the last 15 years), and she is well positioned to orchestrate, negotiate and navigate through changes suggested for the current Silverado and Sierra pickups from GM marketers, designers, chassis engineers, suppliers and others.
After assignments at GM corporate (as chief of staff for the global head of the engineering), Buick and Cadillac, this will be her first stint at Chevrolet, but if the stories about her storytelling abilities are true, she'll be able to create strategic partners in situations where opponents existed before, an important skill necessary for any chief engineer.
At this point little is known about the strategy she has in mind, whether that's offering something revolutionary like exotic materials or a new suspension choice, or a more steady approach with small, simple improvements to towing, payload and cab quietness. But whatever she decides or allows her staff to attempt, the bar needs to be raised. Whether she's the one to get it done will be the big question.
Cars.com photo by Evan Sears; Hickok photo from GM
