After five years at Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Steve Wilhite is leaving his senior VP- global marketing post to become COO for Hyundai Motor America.
Wilhite begins his new role with Fountain Valley, CA-based Hyundai on Aug. 16, and will be responsible for the company’s strategic development, sales, marketing and parts and service. He replaces Keith Duckworth.
“I’m thrilled with the opportunity to return to Southern California and help lead the continued development and growing success of Hyundai,” Wilhite said in a statement. “The chance to be a part of growing sales, working directly with dealers again, and capturing and expressing who and what Hyundai is becoming is a challenge I couldn’t resist.”
Before joining Nissan, Wilhite worked as the VP-worldwide marketing communications at Apple; earlier he was a senior marketing executive at Volkswagen of America, where he led development of the “Drivers Wanted” campaign and the launch of the new Beetle. Wilhite held senior management posts in the retail auto industry and began his automotive career with Ford Motor Co.
Wilhite leaves Nissan in the midst of an exploratory discussion between President-CEO Carlos Ghosn, and General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner about an industrial alliance between Nissan, GM and Renault.
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