Editor's note: The timing of Alan Batey's appointment as Chevrolet's global chief was incorrect in an earlier version of this story.
DETROIT -- Chevrolet U.S. marketing chief Chris Perry has resigned, General Motors said today.
Perry, 53, has held several marketing positions with Chevy since his arrival at GM from Hyundai in August 2010.
He was hired by Joel Ewanick, then GM’s chief marketing officer. Ewanick was dismissed from the company in July 2012.
"GM would like to thank Chris for his dedication and contributions, and wishes him well in all his future endeavors," Alan Batey, executive vice president of Chevrolet, said in an e-mailed statement.
A GM spokesman said the company has not yet picked a replacement.
Perry had served as Chevrolet’s top marketer until last spring, when GM brought in former Volkswagen of America executive Tim Mahoney as Chevy’s global chief marketing officer. Perry reported to Mahoney.
Titles tweaked
Perry’s title was tweaked several times during his 3½ years at GM. In 2011, he became vice president of U.S. marketing for all four GM brands, after Ewanick was promoted to a global role.
His role later reverted to head of Chevy marketing, but on a global basis, before Mahoney’s arrival. Chevrolet’s executive hierarchy also shifted this summer with Batey’s appointment as Chevy’s global chief.
Perry had been Hyundai’s top U.S. marketing executive before leaving for GM in 2010. Before that, he was No. 2 to Ewanick at Hyundai.
Ewanick legacy
GM fired Ewanick amid accusations that he did not fully disclose financial details of a roughly $600 million Chevy sponsorship deal with British soccer club Manchester United.
At Chevrolet, Perry helped roll out the “Chevy Runs Deep” advertising campaign in the fall of 2010. GM phased out the theme early this year after concluding that it wasn’t resonating with customers, replacing it with “Find New Roads.”
He also spearheaded Chevy’s “Under the Blue Arch” retail campaign, which was launched in early 2012 and still is used heavily by Chevy’s regional dealer marketing groups. Chevy has run dozens of commercials featuring an ensemble cast of fictional characters as a platform for ads plugging everything from Silverados to Cruzes.
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