Chrysler Group announced June 20 a new Vehicle Brand Team organization as the latest evolution in a series of moves that over the last year has sought to strengthen and grow the Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge brands. “In July 2001, we established Product Teams to develop uniquely aspirational vehicles,” said Dieter Zetsche, Chrysler Group president and chief executive officer. “We also set up Component Teams to deliver high-quality, low-cost components that are shared across the Product Teams, where possible, while protecting the uniqueness of the brands.” According to Zetsche, the newest organizational initiative gets to the heart of the brands by consolidating the marketing and product planning structures into Vehicle Brand Teams. “These teams have one goal — to strengthen our brands. Therefore, we’re organizing Marketing into three teams, Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge with executives in charge of each who will be held accountable for the overall success of all vehicles, marketing programs, and the dealer experience for their respective brands.” Newly appointed marketing vice presidents will have direct control over the budgets for their brands, said Jim Schroer, Chrysler Group executive vice president global sales and marketing. Their success will be measured by brand strength, the growth of their respective brands, and ultimately, by profit contribution. Each marketing vice president will have a marketing communication and advertising/marketing agency team assigned to the Brand, a dealer marketing programs department, and a newly assigned marketing and product-planning director. “This gives everyone in our organization — as well as our dealers — one place to go on all decisions regarding each brand,” added Schroer. The following executives will lead brand marketing teams at Chrysler Group and report to George Murphy, senior vice president – global marketing: Tom Marinelli, 50, vice-president – Chrysler marketing Jeff Bell, 40, vice president – Jeep marketing Darryl Jackson, 41, vice president – Dodge marketing Jim Julow, 49, formerly head of Dodge Global Brand Center, will head up the marketing organization devoted to Chrysler Group’s growing motorsports and performance vehicle activities, as vice president – motorsports and SRT marketing. Rich Schaum, executive vice president – product development and quality, said that a task force of marketers and product planners within Chrysler Group recommended an approach: directors to supervise both the marketing brand managers and the product planners. “These people will report to the Marketing vice presidents on brand issues and to the Product Team vice presidents on product planning issues,” said Schaum. The new Marketing and Product Planning Directors are: Paul Wilbur, 44, Jeep Marketing & Activity Vehicle Product Planning Ann Fandozzi, 31, Chrysler Marketing & Family Vehicle Product Planning Steve Bartoli, 42, Chrysler Car Marketing & Premium Vehicle Product Planning Joe Veltri, 44, Dodge Truck Marketing & Product Planning Rich Ray, 54, Commercial Vehicles Dave Kimball, 56, Dodge Marketing & Small Vehicle Product Planning Additionally, Mike Evans, 55, is appointed vice president – product strategy. Evans takes on a new role as chairman of the Corporate Product Planning Committee, which is made up primarily of the product planning directors. In this role, he will ensure that all Product Teams use common processes to introduce new technology into vehicles, oversee safety and fuel economy objectives, and drive efficiencies in development.