On Tuesday, December 1, General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson resigned following what board Chairman Ed Whitacre described as a "hectic" directors meeting.

Henderson's departure marks the third change in leadership for GM in less than a year during which time the company negotiated bankruptcy proceedings with government oversight.

Whitacre will assume the leadership of GM until a permanent replacement for Henderson is named. Although the U.S. Department of Treasury owns 61 percent of GM's stock, officials there were not consulted about Henderson's departure, only informed after the fact.

Henderson, 51, took over in March 2009 when the Obama administration forced out Rick Wagoner as part of the company's government-funded restructuring. Whitacre would not discuss the specific reasons for Henderson's departure saying only, "While momentum has been building over the past several months, all involved agree that changes needed to be made."

Henderson worked for General Motors for 25 years, coming to the company out of business school. Many questioned his ability to bring change to an insular corporate culture of which he was himself a member. Whitacre was the government's choice to lead the company and Henderson's relationship with Automotive Task Force has been described as lukewarm.

Most pundits suggest that the failure to conclude the sale of Saab and an abrupt change of direction on the sale of Opel contributed to Henderson's resignation.