James Press has a simple view of his new role as vice chairman and chief product strategist for Chrysler: "To be the voice of the consumer and to represent the needs of the dealers in the
marketplace." While he praises Chrysler's engineering and design--the "bones of the product"-he suggests that the organization needs to listen more closely to the needs of its customers.
As Toyota's top North American executive, Press enjoyed a stellar reputation as perhaps the savviest sales and marketing executive in the business. He is expected to have considerable power over
Chrysler's product plans under Cerberus' corporate umbrella.
Press gave other executives a taste of his vision during a product review last week of the new Jeep Grand Cherokee. As
members of the executive product committee looked on, Press meticulously critiqued the design of the SUV, all the way down to the placement of its cup holders. Afterward, CEO Bob Nardelli said,
"That's why we hired him."
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