• Adweek, Monday, May 21, 2007 11:15 AM

Cerberus Capital Management will depend on a small group of auto-savvy advisers to direct the future of Chrysler Group, including former Ford Motor group vice president, marketing and sales Robert Rewey, ex-Ford vice chairman David Thursfield, former Chrysler COO Wolfgang Bernhard and Gary Dilts, once a Chrysler senior vice president, sales and head of dealer relations for the company.

Bernhard--who was pushed out as Volkswagen's chairman earlier this year--played a large role in the final stages of the deal with Cerberus. Some believe his presence will be felt in any changes that take place. It is almost certain that he will serve as a liaison between Chrysler and Cerberus, working with CEO Tom LaSorda, who will remain in charge at Chrysler, at least for now.

Analysts predict quick fixes for the Chrysler brands, including the scrapping of under-performing sub-brands, streamlined marketing and design tweaks. The first order of business will be deciding which models to scrap, says Matt May, an auto industry consultant.

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