The automotive industry offers one of the most lucrative aspects of PR. Here are five marketing and PR experts from the automotive industry:
Yoichi Miyazaki, Chief Officer of the Marketing Division at Toyota
In April 2015, Toyota made Yoichi Miyazaki its Chief Officer of the Marketing Division. Miyazaki originally studied economics at the Kanagawa University. But, he worked his way up through the company ranks, since he first joined Toyota in 1986. He also serves as Chief Officer of the Toyota Planning Division 1 and Chief Officer of the Product and Business Planning Division. Miyazaki uses his 30 years of experience with the company to position Toyota for continued success.
John McFarlane serves as Director of Global Marketing and Innovation at General Motors. He is also the Chief Marketing Officer for GM’s On Star brand and leads the global Infotainment and Telematics group. This group tracks concept development, as well as, trends in the market. He also worked for other Fortune 500 companies like Procter and Gamble, and GE Capital. McFarlane holds an MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Xavier Chardon, Head of Global Marketing at Volkswagen Group
VW appointed Xavier Chardon as Head of Global Marketing in 2014. Chardon is not new to the company as he worked with VW from early 2012 as Executive Director of Sales in Europe. Before joining the VW Group, Chardon worked for Citroen in various locations across Europe for seven years. He also holds an MBA from Institut Commercial de Nancy and a bachelor’s from LUISS.
Tony Cervone, Senior Vice President of Global Communications at General Motors
Tony Cervone joined General Motors for a second time at the height of one of the company’s biggest scandals. This involved the recall of millions of cars, following revelations about a glitch. Cervone had already racked up 10 years in experience on GM’s internal public relations team in the past. He also gained experience in the field from working with United Airlines and Volkswagen Group. Cervone holds a Bachelor of Science, with a major in journalism, and a minor in business administration and advertising. Additionally, he serves as a board member for the Automotive Press Association and Notre Dame Prep.
David Geanacopoulos, Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs and General Counsel, at Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Geanacopoulos joined Volkswagen in 2003. Before his current appointment, he gained experience as Director of Industry, and later, as Vice President for Public Policy. He is also the company’s Chief Legal Officer. Geanacopoulos gained legal experience while working at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer, & Feld. Additionally, he served as a Legislative Assistant to the U.S. representative, Edward P. Boland, for six years. He holds a BA from Harvard and a doctorate in law from Georgetown University Law Center.