January 18 (The Detroit News) General Motors Co. appointed a telecommunications veteran, Linda Marshall, to run its OnStar safety and communication system, replacing Chris Preuss, who is leaving the company.
Marshall's promotion was announced Tuesday along with several key marketing appointments at the automaker.
GM hired Marshall in November 2010 as executive director of OnStar global business strategy and development.
Prior to joining OnStar, she was the chief operating officer for Revol Wireless and she has held executive-level roles at Sprint Nextel and Verizon Wireless.
"As we continue to evolve the OnStar brand and bring new features to our customers, we believe Linda's deep experience can take the brand and platform to the next level," said Stephen Girsky, vice chairman for corporate strategy and business development.
Preuss, a former spokesman for GM who has been with the company for 13 years, will start a communications consulting business.
GM also announced Tuesday that Chris Perry, head of Chevrolet brand marketing, will run all of GM's U.S. marketing operations, filling a position left vacant when Joel Ewanick was promoted last month to global chief marketing officer.
Ewanick made his mark while at Hyundai Motor Co.'s American subsidiary, where he helped to conceive effective and compelling marketing pitches.
Perry, who also came from Hyundai Motor America, was hired last September to manage Chevrolet marketing. He will take up his new responsibilities on Feb. 1.
GM, which emerged from bankruptcy with four core U.S. brands, is focusing on improving its marketing operations to stem a decline in its domestic market share.
"They don't have a lot of new product this year, so they've got to ramp up the marketing," said Michelle Krebs, an analyst at automotive research firm Edmunds.com.
Rick Scheidt, executive director of Chevrolet product marketing, will replace Perry as vice president of marketing for Chevrolet.
John Schwegman, currently U.S. vice president in charge of Buick-GMC marketing, will run GMC marketing, while Buick marketing will be headed by Tony DiSalle, product and marketing director for the Chevrolet Volt.
"These moves support our plans to continue building very clear and distinct swim lanes for our four brands," Ewanick said.
Buick and GMC will continue to be paired at dealerships, said GM spokesman Pat Morrissey.
"But from a marketing and advertising standpoint," Morrissey said, "this allows us to continue building distinct images for the brands."
