Jill Lajdziak, who joined General Motors’ Saturn brand before its first car was ever sold, will retire from the company by the end of 2009. Lajdziak, 52, led the Saturn brand through its demise last month.

She will take vacation time until her retirement said spokesman John McDonald. In the mean time, GM’s Steve Hill will coordinate the wind-down the brand.

Retailer Penske Automotive Group decided to withdraw its bid to purchase Saturn from General Motors. The Detroit automaker decided to close the brand last month. The brand will shutter when “dealers are able to sell their inventory and wind their dealerships down,” McDonald said.

Lajdziak started at GM in 1980 as a district sales manager with Chevrolet.

- By: Omar Rana