(Reuters) - Volkswagen AG on Thursday named General Motor's (NYSE: GM) former Cadillac head Johan De Nysschen as chief operating officer of the German carmaker's North American region.

De Nysschen previously led Volkswagen's Audi brand in the U.S. and Nissan Motor Co's <7201.T> Infiniti brand, and then took over the helm of GM's Cadillac in July 2014.

In his role as the head, De Nysschen outlined bold plans to reshape Cadillac's lineup, moved its headquarters to New York in 2015 and upset Cadillac dealers by trying to cull their numbers as part of an effort called Project Pinnacle.

Last year, General Motors abruptly replaced De Nysschen as the head of its Cadillac brand.

As COO, De Nysschen will streamline the executive reporting structure and coordinate operations in the region, the company said.

De Nysschen will begin his new role on Oct. 1, and report to Scott Keogh, the head of Volkswagen Group of America.

(Reporting by Sanjana Shivdas in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)

Reuters