• by Wendy Davis  @wendyndavis, June 6, 2006

Jeff Bell, vice president of product strategy at Chrysler Group, confirmed Monday that he is leaving the car company to join Microsoft Corp.

"DaimlerChrysler afforded me, personally, the chance to push the boundaries of Internet, videogaming, and branded entertainment marketing, and for that I am very grateful," he said in an e-mail. Micosoft declined to comment.

His departure was first reported by Advertising Age Monday.

Bell, who worked at Chrysler since 2001, was widely considered a leading Internet evangelist. OMMA magazine last year named him an Online All-Star, for his cutting-edge strategies for marketing cars.

"We will continue to push monies toward interactive and experiential marketing for three reasons," Bell told OMMA magazine at the time. "First, it is measurable. Second, it is more engaging emotionally, and therefore effective. Third, the highest quality of creative and technical talent is working in this area."

Former colleague Julie Roehm told OMMA last year: "Jeff was the father of gaming at DaimlerChrysler and the founder of the online strategy that we still build from today." Roehm--then director of marketing communications, Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge--currently works holds the position of senior vice president, marketing at Wal-Mart.