DEARBORN — Marketing and automotive veteran Mark R. LaNeve has been named Chief Operating Officer of WPP Group’s Global Team Ford, as was announced Wednesday.
“Much has been accomplished over the past year in restructuring and building our business; the time is right to bring in a new operational leader who will help take us to the next level,” said CEO of Global Team Ford, Satish Korde. “Mark is not only a great industry veteran, he’s a seasoned marketing and automotive executive.”
LaNeve has a strong background in retail, luxury, and the service industry, and brings a diverse amount of operational experience to this role. Mark and Korde will stay closely linked on the business. They will provide Ford Motor Company “with the creativity and innovation that have been a hallmark of this operation since its inception in 2007,” Korde said
LaNeve will report to Korde and globally lead the strategy and overall operations for the Ford and Lincoln businesses. “Ford is an iconic brand with outstanding leadership, great products, and an even better future,” LaNeve said. “With several options for returning to the industry I love, returning home to Detroit to be part of the Ford team through WPP was simply an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”
“Mark’s joining the WPP team adds a whole new dimension to our global capability,” said WPP Group Chief Executive, Sir Martin Sorrell. “The great partnership which we enjoy with Ford will be strengthened even further.”
LaNeve most recently served as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Allstate Insurance Company, where he led a realignment of the sales and marketing business and launched the award winning “Mayhem” campaign. Prior to joining Allstate in 2009, LaNeve began his career at General Motors, where he served as Vice President of Sales, Service, and Marketing. In 2003, he was named “Grand Marketer of the Year” by Brandweek magazine for his success with the Cadillac brand.
