• by Karl Greenberg , February 10, 2014

General Motors is making more executive changes at its bow-tie division. The automaker has had some staff shuffle at Chevrolet -- at least since Joel Ewanick departed as CMO in 2012. The newest changes include the appointment of Brian Sweeney, currently U.S. vice president of Buick-GMC sales and service, as U.S. VP of Chevrolet. Starting next month, he will handle U.S. sales, service and marketing.

The current U.S. vice president of Chevrolet sales and service, Don Johnson, will retire after 33 years with the company. Duncan Aldred, currently chairman and managing director of Vauxhall Motors and CEO of Opel Ireland, based in Great Britain, will replace Sweeney as U.S. vice president, Buick-GMC. Aldred will be responsible for Buick-GMC sales, service and marketing in the U.S., per GM. Both Sweeney and Aldred will report to Steve Hill, VP, U.S. sales and service, per the company.

Sweeney joined GM in 1990, holding positions at GMC, Pontiac and GM sales, service and marketing before becoming VP of Saab Cars USA in 2004. He became U.S. VP, Buick-GMC Sales and Service in 2010. 

Chris Perry, former head of Chevrolet marketing, left in December about a year after former GM global marketing chief Joel Ewanick, Perry’s former boss at Hyundai, was let go from GM. Perry departed after former VW executive Tim Mahoney came on board to be global CMO of Chevrolet, which left Perry few options. Perry had been a force behind the retired “Chevy Runs Deep” marketing campaign, which was nixed for Mahoney’s “Find New Roads.” Long-time GM executive Alan Batey became SVP of Global Chevrolet last June. 

The most recent watershed moment at General Motors was CEO Dan Akerson's departure last month to care for his wife, and the ascension of Mary Barra as his successor, making her the first female CEO of a top-tier global auto company. The automaker this month announced 2013 calendar-year net income of $3.8 billion, down from $4.9 billion in 2012.