Raymond Chess Biography and Net Worth

Raymond Chess is the president of R.J. Chess Consulting LLC based in Oxford, Michigan, a role he has held since ending his over 30-year career with General Motors (GM) in 2013.

Chess started at the Detroit-based car manufacturer in 1980, where he served in various capacities, including as a vehicle line director, vehicle line executive, and chief manufacturing engineer. From 1997 to 2009, he was responsible for GM’s commercial truck business, where he oversaw all fabrication, body shop engineering, and dye for the General Motors Truck Group. 

In his most recent position with the company, Chess served as GM’s global vehicle line executive for the automotive company’s Crossover line of vehicles. In this position Chess managed all of GM’s Crossover vehicles with $31 billion in annual sales over his three-year tenure. 

Chess’s career spans a broad spectrum of experiences in leadership roles in engineering, manufacturing, and floor operations that began in 1975 at Indianapolis Metal Fabricating. His last position at the plant level was superintendent of manufacturing engineering before he transferred to Pontiac Michigan. 

Chess currently serves as chairman of The Workhorse Group, as an advisory board member to Productive Research LLC and as a board member for Rush Enterprises. He received his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from Kettering University and his M.B.A. from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business.