Ewanick, 50, came to GM in May from Nissan. He was with Nissan for two months before GM lured him, but not before him was able to get a promise of substantial autonomy from the company. From March 2007 to March 2010 Ewanick was in charge of Hyundai's American division. There he was responsible for Hyundai's ''Hyundai Assurance Program'' and making the company, considered a minor player into a brand now considered mainstream and feared by larger rivals.
Ewanick will now be counted as one of the main managers in the company and the first time that a marketing man has been given such a high profile role in the company. His job will be to boost GM's image across South America, Europe and Asia. GM's portfolio in these regions includes Opel, Daewoo and Holden. He will continue handling GM's American brands - Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC.
In his new job as global marketing chief, Ewanick has said that he will try to use common themes to increase sales and build the brand across the globe but local marketing executives will play the main role in this endeavor. He has talked about how his previous experiences at Hyundai and Porsche taught him the pitfalls of centralized marketing campaigns.
