After serving as Audi of America’s customer experience director since 2011, Jeri Ward moves on up to the roles of CCO and vice president for the subsidiary.
Ward originally came on with AoA in 2007 as its launch strategy general manager after spending time in the marketing department of Ford — including managing marketing efforts for the then-new Edge — as well as a nine-year stint at General Motors in its powertrain engineering division. In between, she took a two-year break between 1999 and 2001 to obtain her master’s in engineering and business at Northwestern University, as well as interning at General Electric.
During Johan de Nysschen’s time at the helm of AoA, Ward became a member of the automaker’s executive management team in November 2011, where she was tasked with bettering the customer experience from every point of ownership, including development of Audi’s presence in the digital and social media spaces. The results led to a climb from 13th place to the customer experience podium as determined by J.D. Power and Associates’ CSI ranking system.
In her new role as CCO, Ward is set to lead AoA’s public relations efforts throughout all departments, with the long-term goal of continuous improvement of the customer experience. Her appointment follows former CCO Joseph Jacuzzi’s departure for General Motors last month, where he now heads up Chevrolet’s global communications efforts.
The appointment will go into effect May 1.
Rather than the Audi news release, I wonder if the more interesting story isn’t the decampment of the two best PR people from VW/Audi (Cervone and Jacuzzi) for GM, which can’t be a cake job. Wonder how bad things really are at VW.
Despite what TTAC audience would like to see happen to VW, they’re doing quite well for themselves.
http://time.com/3663287/volkswagen-sells-10-million-vehicles-2014/
Indeed. I could understand someone wanting to jump ship from Volkswagen of America – although, come to think of it, how painful a job is it any longer? The bar and expectations are so low right now I think people are actually taking pity on them, rather than pot shots.
Audi’s a different story. I imagine that if someone is leaving Audi at this point in time it is because they were pushed out or found a different/better opportunity.
Worldwide sure (but slowing) whereas in the US, they’re turd. VW has lagged way behind in the US.
“Worldwide sure (but slowing) whereas in the US, they’re turd. VW has lagged way behind in the US.”
VW also posted a (roughly) 4.5% increase in US sales in 2014 over 2013. While that is not stellar by any means, a gain in market share is an improvement no matter how you slice it. Its easy to understand why their market share is so small in the land of behemeth SUVs and pick ups, but on the grand scale they still outsold GM, Furd and FCA.
2014 VAG sales in the US declined by almost 3% compared to 2013.
I think it would be a good idea if the writers and editors of TTAC didn’t presume that all their readers know the jargon of the industry, particularly initials and acronyms. It took until halfway through the article to decipher that CCO probably meant Chief Communications Officer.
How about spelling out initials and acronyms the first time they are used in an article?
By the way, defining acronyms is a standard in technical writing, even to a well-informed audience.
…i couldn’t formulate a hypothesis until the penultimate word of the penultimate paragraph…
Black nails? Extreme.
Her suit says “I’m a business executive.” But her nail polish says, “And I work at Hot Topic on the weekends.”
I wonder if this is an interim appointment, considering the admiral is openly considering replacing the skipper?