X hires ex-Hyundai marketer Angela Zepeda as global head of marketing

Former Hyundai Motor America marketer Angela Zepeda has joined X as global head of marketing, filling a role that had been vacant at the platform formerly known as Twitter.

X CEO Linda Yaccarino announced the hire on X on Sept. 9, saying that it was “essential to hire an exceptional leader like Angela to further shape our transformation,” adding that Zepeda “understands how to grow a brand globally and is exactly the right person to lead X's marketing as we accelerate our innovation.”

Zepeda left Hyundai about two weeks ago after her role at the automaker changed from chief marketing officer to chief creative officer.

Zepeda and Yaccarino are known to be friends, with their relationship dating to Yaccarino’s TV ad sales career, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Since Elon Musk took over Twitter in late 2022, the app’s marketing team has been gutted along with much of the rest of the company. There were widespread layoffs, including Leslie Berland, the CMO who left quickly after Musk bought the company. Berland has since landed with Verizon, after a stint at Peloton. There has not been a CMO or clear head of marketing at X since Berland departed.

Musk has an aversion to standard marketing practices, as evidenced by his strategy at Tesla, which has shunned traditional advertising. At X, Musk is both the owner and its most vocal spokesperson, and he has the most-subscribed account on the site, with 197 million followers. He has used his account to promote Donald Trump’s presidential candidacy after endorsing him earlier in the year. 

Musk also is X’s biggest target for critics, as he often posts and amplifies polarizing material. Advertisers have been scared off of X because of offensive content. Hyundai was part of an advertiser pause this year. That brand freeze followed reports of antisemitic content appearing near advertising.

X declined to comment for this report when reached by email.

Hyundai Motor America hired Zepeda as CMO in October 2019 after she led the account for its creative agency of record, Innocean USA. She lost the CMO title on July 31 when the automaker split its marketing leadership in two. Hyundai exec Sean Gilpin was given oversight of performance marketing duties previously handled by Zepeda, who took on the chief creative officer job, retaining oversight of social, creative, experiential and multicultural marketing. She left Hyundai less than a month later, prompting Hyundai to elevate Gilpin to the CMO role.

Zepeda was named an Automotive News All-Star in 2020. She was also named to the Automotive News list of the 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry that year.

Earlier in 2024 she oversaw Hyundai’s new investment in Reddit, which the automaker has used to educate consumers on EVs.

She shared her announcement on LinkedIn, writing, “After an incredible five year journey as CMO/CCO for Hyundai, I’m thrilled to shift gears and drive into a new adventure as the global head of marketing for X!”