More Turnover at Chevy, GM?

General Motors Co. today named Chris Perry its new Chevrolet marketing boss, replacing Jim Campbell.

Chris Perry

Mr. Perry, 50, Hyundai Motor America's VP-marketing, will be the third Chevrolet marketing leader in 13 months and will be reunited with Joel Ewanick, GM's top U.S. marketing executive, who held the same post at Hyundai.

Mr. Campbell, 46, was named VP of GM's performance vehicles and motorsports unit.

In March, Mr. Perry was named Hyundai's top marketing executive when Mr. Ewanick joined Nissan North America. Weeks later, Mr. Ewanick moved to GM.

"Chris brings 25 years of marketing experience -- more than 20 years in the automotive industry -- to the Chevrolet marketing position," Mr. Ewanick said in a statement.

"I have worked with Chris in the past and know he will use his unique ability to integrate strategic and creative marketing activities across all communications disciplines to reconnect consumers to the Chevrolet brand," he added.

Chris Hosford, Hyundai's executive director of communications, confirmed that Mr. Perry had resigned from his marketing post at Hyundai, effective immediately.

Mr. Hosford declined to comment about a successor to Mr. Perry, or the timing in which his successor would be named, saying "it's too early to talk about a potential successor to Chris."

Meanwhile, the churn of executives continues at GM.

In the past year, at least 17 of the company's marketing leaders have changed jobs or left. Three of GM's four remaining U.S. brands underwent major ad campaign changes -- Buick more than once. Mr. Ewanick is GM's fourth U.S. marketing chief in the past year.

Mr. Perry has been with Hyundai since 2000. Before taking the interim job, he was director of marketing and advertising. He has been credited by Hyundai dealers with being a key player in developing the company's attention-getting marketing efforts -- including the Hyundai Assurance program, which guarantees customers that they can return their purchases if they lose their job. He will report to Mr. Ewanick.

GM said Mr. Campbell, in his new role, will integrate the engineering and marketing of performance versions of current GM models and will be responsible for all of GM's motorsports activities. He will report to Mark Reuss, president of GM North America, and to Tom Stephens, vice chairman of global product operations.