• by Karl Greenberg , May 5, 2010

You heard it here second, or maybe third: General Motors says Joel Ewanick has been appointed vice president, U.S. Marketing, effective May 24.  Ewanick, 49, will report to Mark Reuss, president, GM North America.It may be the briefest stint in automotive history, as he started at Nissan about three weeks ago. Says GM: As the single point for marketing, Ewanick will have responsibility for improving the positioning of the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac brands and consumer consideration of GM vehicles in the United States.

Before joining Nissan in March, Ewanick served as vice president of marketing for Hyundai Motor America. During his three year tenure, Ewanick earned industry recognition as the most impactful automotive marketer in America; Automotive News’2009 Marketing All Star of the Year; Brandweek’s 2009 Marketer of the Year; and Forbes’ Chief Marketing Officer of the Year.

Ewanick succeeds Susan Docherty, 47, whose new position at GM will be announced soon.  With extensive sales, service and marketing experience, Docherty has held positions of increasing responsibility in Canada, the U.S., Europe and Asia. Most notable is her brand work, including the launch of the 2010 Buick LaCrosse and GMC Terrain.