GM Veteran LaNeve Joins Ford Ad Agency

Mark LaNeve, former General Motors Co. U.S. sales chief, has been named chief operating officer of WPP Group's Global Team Ford advertising agency.

LaNeve will lead the Dearborn, Mich.-based agency's global strategy and operations for the Ford and Lincoln brands. As Cadillac general manager in the early 2000s, he helped that brand shake off its stodgy image with ads featuring rock bank Led Zeppelin.

LaNeve will report to Satish Korde, CEO of Global Team Ford. The agency, also known as Team Detroit, includes five WPP agencies: JWT, MindShare, Ogilvy & Mather, Wunderman and Young & Rubicam.

LaNeve began his career as a GM marketer. He left in 1997 to join Volvo Cars of North America, where he was later was named CEO. LaNeve returned to GM in 2001 as Cadillac general manager.

He held a series of senior North American marketing jobs at the auto giant and served as vice president of U.S. sales before leaving the company in 2009. LaNeve joined Allstate Insurance Co. later that year as executive vice president and chief marketing officer a job he held at until leaving the company in February.