• by Karl Greenberg , June 16, 2008

General Motors, after realigning its eight brands into four channels, is shifting divisional marketing staff.

At Chevrolet, Kim Kosak will be general director of advertising and promotions, reporting to Ed Peper, North America vice president, which is analogous to her current role as divisional manager. Rick Scheidt, previously executive director of product development, will be executive director, product marketing. Kurt McNeil, previously regional general manager in the South-Central region will now be general sales manager. Scheidt and McNeil will report to Peper.

Within the GM premium channel, Steve Hill, general manager of the North Central region, will now be general sales manager. Steve Shannon, Jim Taylor and Martin Walsh will continue to report to McNabb as general managers of Saab, Cadillac and Hummer. respectively. All will report to Mark McNabb, North American vice president of the channel.

Reporting to Susan Docherty, North America vice president of the Buick/Pontiac/GMC group, will be Cheryl Catton, formerly general director, Chevrolet car marketing, who will be general director, advertising and promotions. Russ Clark, who was executive director of product development, will be executive director, product marketing. Brian Sweeney, previously general director of Buick/Pontiac/GMC retail development, will now be general sales manager. Clark and Sweeney will also report to Docherty.

Finally, at Saturn, and reporting to Jill Lajdziak, Saturn general manager, Sterling Wesley is general sales manager. He was previously executive director, Motors Holding Division. Dan Keller, director of marketing for the division, will become director of advertising and promotions. Saturn's director of brand and product development Stuart Pierce will be director of product marketing. Keller and Pierce will also report to Lajdziak.

The changes follow an April realignment of the company's eight brands into four sales channels: Saturn, Chevrolet, Premium and the Buick, Pontiac and GMC triptych. It's also when the company brought in former Nissan North America sales and marketing chief Mark McNabb to head up the Cadillac, Hummer and Saab luxury group.

Also, the April realignment put a manager over each of the four channels instead of each of the eight brands.

Said North America marketing chief Mark LaNeve: "These new assignments will help each channel meet targeted customer needs, align closely with our dealer partners and make each of our brands stronger with more focused models."