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Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Head of Fiat brand in North America named...



Great news for American Fiat enthusiasts: The head of the Fiat Brand in North America has been named. Her name is Laura Soave. Soave was recently General Manager - Experiential Marketing, Volkswagen of America, Inc., and has extensive experience in marketing and a background in customer relations.

On behalf of the many thousands of happy American Fiat enthusiasts that visit my site, we wish her the best of luck on her new endeavor.



On a personal note, this is a happy time. I have been waiting for this announcement for 27 years. When Fiat decided to leave in 1983, it was a disappointment to me. An analogy would be your favorite sports team picking up and leaving (remember the Brooklyn Dodgers?). Well now the team is back and it's better than ever!

Below is the official announcement of Laura Soave's appointment, courtesy of Chrysler LLC:


Chrysler Group Names Laura Soave to Lead Fiat Brand for North America

Auburn Hills, Mich., Mar 10, 2010 - Chrysler Group LLC today appointed Laura J. Soave to serve as the Head of the Fiat Brand for North America.

Soave will lead the reintroduction of the Fiat Brand in North America, beginning with the Fiat 500. She holds full profit and loss responsibility for the Fiat product portfolio in North America. In her position, Soave, who reports to Sergio Marchionne, Chief Executive Officer of Chrysler Group, will work with the brand Presidents and industrial leads to fully integrate Fiat product into the marketing, sales, service and dealer network organizations.

“Laura joins Chrysler with extensive experience in automotive marketing,” said Marchionne. “Her rich background will serve as a springboard for reintroducing the Fiat brand when it takes to U.S. and Canadian roads this December after more than a 25-year absence. This truly iconic car exemplifies Italian style, technology and passion and, offers something more. The 500 heralds a new vision of technology’s role in sustainable mobility.”

Soave joins Chrysler Group from Volkswagen of America where she most recently was the General Manager of Experiential Marketing leading consumer marketing initiatives. While at VW, she also was the head of advertising and communications activities for all large passenger vehicles and SUVs. Prior to that, she worked at Ford Motor Company in a variety of positions including most recently as a Brand DNA Manager where she managed the repositioning of the Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands.


Press release courtesy of Chrysler Media

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