GM appoints Ewanick VP of US marketing

General Motors has appointed Joel Ewanick VP of US marketing as of May 24. The former VP of marketing and CMO for Nissan North America will replace Susan Docherty, who will take over a new post at GM, the company said in a May 5 statement.

“Joel is highly regarded in industry and marketing circles, and his track record speaks for itself,” said Mark Reuss, president of GM North America, in a statement. “We are very pleased to have his marketing acumen, creative leadership and energy at GM at this critical time."

Ewanick, who will report to Reuss, is charged with improving the positioning of the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac brands in the US. Before working at Nissan, he served as VP of marketing at Hyundai. There, he implemented the "Assurance" campaign, which gained notoriety for its promise to cover car payments or allow customers to return vehicles if they lost their job within a year of purchase.

GM announced the hire as it is planning to double US sales of the Buick brand within the next few years. The automaker plans to add models, increase marketing and push dealership improvements, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.

A GM spokesperson declined comment on the matter when reached by DMNews.