Hallelujah! XM Satellite Radio has restructured their marketing operations by creating a dedicated marketing group for automotive, as well as realigning several senior-level marketing positions.
XM veteran Steve Cook has been named to the newly created role of Executive Vice President, Automotive, effective immediately. Cook will focus on XM's automotive strategic partnerships, as XM is expecting to double annual OEM factory-installations in the next two years.
In addition XM has signed on My-Chau Nguyen, formerly of Sprint Nextel, as Senior Vice President, Marketing, Planning and Research, and Sean Connolly, formerly of Intel Corporation, as Vice President, Brand Management and Media. Both will report to a Chief Marketing Officer, who will be appointed in the coming months to oversee all sales and marketing for the company, including media, branding and retention programs. Until a Chief Marketing Officer is named, Nguyen and Connolly will report to Panero.
As Senior VP of Marketing, Planning and Research, My-Chau Nguyen will oversee XM's strategic marketing efforts with responsibility for packaging, pricing, retention and marketing research. Her appointment is effective in September. Nguyen most recently held several senior marketing positions at Sprint Nextel Communications, serving both as Vice President, Marketing Excellence and as Vice President, Segment/Industry/National Accounts Marketing. She also served in senior marketing positions for AOL and Cable & Wireless.
In his new role as VP of Brand Management and Media, Sean Connolly will oversee brand marketing and media for XM, effective August. He most recently served as Worldwide Advertising Director at Intel Corporation, where he oversaw Intel's global advertising campaigns, including television, print, radio, outdoor and online, for both business and consumer audiences. He joined Intel in 1999 as Consumer Advertising Manager and Director. Prior to that, Connolly spent six years with Foote, Cone & Belding Worldwide working with a client roster that included 3Com, Palm Inc., AT&T, Citibank and Nabisco Inc., among others.
All I have to say is... it's about time!
Interesting move. I'm not sure if this is dramatic enough of a change to help, but I'm hoping for the best. Good luck, XM!
It's creepy. You were JUST talking about that.
Hmm, I think Ryan's got a few readers over at XM - no?
HA! Opie has saying for about 2 weeks now. "THE CHINESE ARE COMING, THE CHINESE ARE COMING". And here we have this. Love you Opie.
tussel,
Nguyen is a common Vietnemese last name. And the timing of this is uncanny Brian... I would guess that there were marketing rumors even before Ryan posted his complaint.
XM's marketing has been critisized for some time and in every investor meeting Parson's has hinted that there would be a shakeup in management. I'm sure Orbitcast has an impact, I love the site, but I'm pretty sure it would provide a very mild influence at best. CEO's of billion dollar companies don't admit they are wrong very often.
My big question is how long have these guys been out of work? Was My-Chau let go from Nextel when they merged or was he part of a solid company like sprint and kept through the merger. If he was a Nextel guy then we are screwed.
Why is Steve Cook still working there? Sounds like a bunch of BS to me.
The first thing they should do is hop in a time machine and get Stern signed to XM. Boom! No more Sirius....
Ryan, the suits at XM are reading your mind :)
XM: About damn time!