“I look forward to helping Allstate reinvent the way customers think about protection."
Allstate (NYSE: ALL) today announced it has selected Mark LaNeve, 50, as chief marketing officer. LaNeve will oversee all marketing initiatives for the corporation, including brand stewardship, marketing and brand strategy, advertising, corporate identity, customer loyalty and field marketing.
In addition, LaNeve will serve as a member of the corporation’s senior management team, reporting to Thomas J. Wilson, Allstate’s chairman, president and chief executive officer. LaNeve will join Allstate effective October 26.
Fritz Henderson, General Motors CEO, announced LaNeve’s departure during a press conference last week. Henderson said LaNeve would be leaving for a job at a non-automotive company on October 15, and that an announcement of the new job would be forthcoming. Gm subsequently appointed Buick-GMC General Manager Susan Docherty as vice president of U.S. sales.
Year-to-date the Buick brand is off 37% and the GMC brand is down 41% in a market that declined only 27%.
LaNeve’s apparent sacking came less than one week after GM announced September sales results, which were off 45% compared to what was an unusually strong month in September in 2008. GM’s U.S. dealers delivered just 156,673 vehicles in September. Year-to-to-date GM sales are down more than 36%.
LaNeve was relieved of marketing responsibility at GM to make way for the return of Robert Lutz, who had previously announced his retirement. Lutz took the marketing portion of LaNeve’s job as LaNeve was shifted to sales.
LaNeve’s performance in sales is debatable. If you look at GM’s market share in September 2009, the latest available period, GM was clearly number one with 21% — that is more than four share points better than Toyota and about six share points better than Ford Motor Company.
“Mark brings a unique blend of world class marketing talent, sales leadership and general management experience,” Wilson said. “His success in building stronger brands through marketing, consumer focused product design and local sales presence will accelerate our strategy to reinvent protection and retirement.”
LaNeve has served in a variety of senior-level marketing, sales and general management positions in the automotive industry for more than 25 years. Most recently, he was vice president of sales, service and marketing at the General Motors Corporation responsible for sales, brand development and marketing for eight U.S. vehicle brands.
Previously at GM, LaNeve served as vice president of marketing and advertising and as general manager of the Cadillac division. Brandweek magazine named him “Marketer of the Year” in 2003. He spent more than three years at Volvo Cars of North America, first as chief marketing officer and later as president and CEO. LaNeve holds a bachelor’s of arts degree in business communication from the University of Virginia.
“I am thrilled to join Allstate’s talented management team and am extremely excited about the challenge of working with one of the country’s strongest brands in a very competitive and dynamic market,” LaNeve said. “I look forward to helping Allstate reinvent the way customers think about protection and retirement.”
Joan Walker, Allstate’s senior vice president for corporate relations, has filled Allstate’s chief marketing officer role on an interim basis. Walker will continue as a member of Allstate’s senior management team in her corporate relations role.
The Allstate Corporation is the nation’s largest publicly held personal lines insurer. Widely known through the “You’re In Good Hands with Allstate” slogan. Consumers can learn about Allstate insurance products at www.allstate.com and 1-800 Allstate.