DETROIT -- General Motors Chairman and CEO Ed Whitacre says the company's new chief financial officer Chris Liddell is a candidate for the CEO post, according to The Associated Press.

Liddell formerly served as CFO of Microsoft Corp. The automaker announced the 51-year-old was its new CFO late last month.

Whitacre also says he is not confident that the automaker can work out a deal to sell its Swedish Saab brand. GM is phasing out Saab and expects to start closing plants this week.