General Motors Co. has formed a high-profile corporate planning and alliances group headed by Group Vice President John Smith as part of a series of organizational changes.

Smith is now negotiating the sale of a majority stake in GM's German carmaker, Adam Opel GmbH, but GM plans to retain a substantial holding and keep Opel in its global product development network.

"John has been our point person on our negotiations involving Opel, and the title is reflective of that work," said Tom Pyden, a GM spokesman.

GM President and CEO Fritz Henderson said this week that the automaker was studying final offers for Opel from Canadian supplier Magna International Inc. and Brussels-based RHJ International. He said they would probably be put to the board next week.

Whichever bidder is chosen as the buyer, Opel will have two or more owners.

Many of GM's Asian activities are conducted in joint ventures and alliances, such as GM Daewoo Automotive & Technology, which also plays a role in GM's vehicle development process.

"Alliances are an important market access strategy for General Motors already, and more activity of this type can be anticipated," GM said in an internal memo that became public on Friday. GM confirmed the contents.

The planning and alliances group will include top sales and planning, as well as research and development executives at GM.

"The way the auto world is evolving, there could well be additional alliances," said Joe Phillippi, president of AutoTrends Consulting Inc.

Most automakers are now exploring deals in areas of technology to share the enormous expenses, he said.

In any case, Phillippi said, GM probably needs a group "just to keep tabs on everything that's going on with their partners. They've got all the relationships in China and GM Daewoo."

Members of the group include GM global market and industry analyst Mike DiGiovanni; Powertrain Vice President Scott Mackie; Greg Hagy, director of global business development; and Mary Sipes, currently vice president of product planning and global portfolio integration for GM North America.

Two R&D executives, Dave VanderVeen, director operations research, and Clay Phillips, director of GM strategic initiatives, are members of the group, along with Leslie Bublin, currently director of business planning at GM North America.

In one of Henderson's first moves, GM began to eliminate some GM North America functional positions to reduce and streamline the management ranks.

GM also is in the process of shedding about 40 of its 140 U.S.-based communications staffers by Oct. 1.