DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Corp (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Thursday that John Middlebrook would retire as global head of sales and marketing effective July 1 and be succeeded by European sales head Jonathan Browning.

Middlebrook, 67, has worked for the No. 1 U.S. automaker for 49 years and coordinates GM's global sales and marketing strategy as vice president of global sales, service and marketing, reporting directly to Chief Executive Rick Wagoner.

Browning, 48, GM Europe's vice president of sales marketing and aftersales since 2001, will assume Middlebrook's position on June 1.

Wagoner lauded Middlebrook's contributions to GM's rapid growth outside North America in recent years and said Browning had played a key role in GM's European growth.

GM named Brent Dewar, 53, to succeed Browning effective June 1 in Europe, a rapidly growing market. Dewar is GM North America vice president, field sales, service and parts. Dewar will report to GM Europe President Carl-Peter Forster.

(Reporting by David Bailey, editing by Maureen Bavdek and Steve Orlofsky)