• by Tanya Gazdik , December 16, 2024

General Motors continues to streamline its marketing duties under Global Chief Marketing Officer Norm de Greve, who took over 18 months ago.  

Kurt Unkel has been hired as global director, head of media operations. He will report to Shenan Reed, GM’s global chief media officer.

"We are excited to have Kurt join General Motors as we continue to push boundaries in the media space,” Reed told Marketing Daily in a statement. “His leadership will be key as we operationalize media strategies, drive efficiencies, and unlock new avenues for innovation. Together, we’re building a best-in-class media organization that will propel GM’s vision for the future of mobility.”

Unkel most recently was chief transformation officer at Dentsu Media and senior vice present of product strategy at Nielsen. He previously spent almost 8 years at GTB, where his duties included chief platform officer and chief digital officer.

Longtime GM marketing executive Megan Stooke, who was most recently marketing director, GM Brand and marketing director, GM Energy, is leaving the company. 

“To streamline and drive efficiencies, GM Brand and other non-divisional responsibilities were aligned under Molly Peck, our executive director of global marketing excellence,” according to a GM spokesperson. 

Stooke has been at GM since August 1999 when she joined GM Holden Australia, Ltd.  Her other roles over the two decades included general director, global marketing. global marketing director, Chevrolet and marketing director, electric vehicle customer experience at Cadillac. 

GM is also realigning its diversity marketing efforts. Tarshena Armstrong, who has been director, diversity marketing and development for four years,  becomes regional director of Buick and GMC sales in Connecticut. 

Brianne Boles-Marshall becomes diversity-driven and ethical media strategies lead. She was previously global marketing services, diversity media strategy and investment for the past three years. 

Armstrong’s duties are being realigned between Bolles-Marshall and the brand teams. She will lead all diverse media activities around media investments, partners and GM’s INvested fund, which is GM’s initiative to actively allocate investments towards supporting diverse media and marketing companies, particularly those owned by underrepresented groups.

GM’s diverse owned incubator fund aims to distribute $50 million over a 10-year period to promote greater inclusion and equity in the industry; this includes backing Black-owned, Hispanic-owned, and other diverse media outlets to increase representation in advertising and marketing strategies.