Payback or coincidence: Hyundai hires ex-GM executive as marketing chief

Hyundai and General Motors love stealing or taking each others leftovers.

The Korean automaker has named a veteran General Motors executive as its new U.S. marketing chief, filling a spot in the company’s ranks that has been vacant for more than seven months. Steve Shannon, 52, was named vice president of marketing for Hyundai Motor America on Wednesday and will officially start his job on April 18, spokesman Chris Hosford said.

Shannon has spent more than 25 years at GM where he was most recently executive director of marketing for Cadillac. He held that position from 2008 to March 2010 when he was laid-off in one of several executive shakeups under CEO Ed Whitacre.

Shannon’s hiring at Hyundai comes after GM stole two marketing chiefs from the Korean company. First to go was the famous Joel Ewanick, who was the guy behind the Hyundai Assurance campaign. Ewanick was followed by Chris Perry, his successor at Hyundai.

– By: Omar Rana

Source: Automotive News