Gm Chair Steps Down

General Motors Corp. Chairman John G. Smale, the outside director who led a boardroom coup three years ago, will leave that post Jan. 1.

He will be replaced by Jack Smith, who also will continue as president and chief executive of GM. Smale will remain on the board of directors and chair a newly established executive committee of the board.

GM earned record profits of $4.9 billion in 1994.