Bill Stewart, who left the CMO position at Kmart in 2008 to volunteer for an organization dedicated to protecting gay marriage, will become the first "CMO-in-Residence" for NBC Universal in May.
The quarterly program will tap the expertise of former chief marketing officers from major corporations. According to a news release, the ex-CMOs will work with the Integrated Sales Marketing team to "leverage NBCU's portfolio of assets to create customized, innovative, insights-driven programs tailored to meet clients' business objectives."
Stewart is currently overseeing marketing and other efforts for two startup companies: dot429, a new social networking community, and NeuroFocus, a neuro-marketing company.
At K-Mart, Stewart helped reposition the $20 billion retailer, bringing back the blue light as an animated spokesperson and overseeing the launch and revitalization of various K-Mart brands. His career includes marketing roles at Levi-Strauss & Co, the Coca-Cola Company and General Mills, as well as start-up companies like Ashford.com and askRed.
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In regard to NBCU, Stewart said: "No one understands the power of partnership like NBC Universal, and the creation of this new role is the perfect example. The company has a great track record of innovation in finding new ways to bring value to their advertisers."