Honda Calls Former Chrysler Executive To Lead Marketing Division

It is an unusual move especially during difficult times to recruit an outsider, as American Honda Motor Co. has chosen former Chrysler executive, to lead its US marketing efforts. Honda admitted that it Hired Michael Accavitti as chief marketing officer. Also, Accavitti was executive automotive adviser for Cisco Systems, however he spent 15 years at Chrysler, where he lead Dodge and was also named marketing executive of Chrysler Group before he left in 2009, when the year Chrysler filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy, as related by autoobserver.com.

Accaivtti will replace Steve Center, Honda’s top US marketing executive since June 2008. Center will be assigned with another program which Honda calls Environmental Business Development Office that will manage the manufacturer’s green businesses. Instead Accavitti, will survey marketing for Honda and Acura brands and public relations . auto shows and emerging markets advertising.he faces a great challenge at Honda which was particularly hard hit by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Thus the manufacturer is struggling to resume production interrupted by the natural disaster, and catch up with rebuilding its inventory. Honda took a down hill direction due to the fact that it had suffered by inventory shortages.

Honda was left behind do to the inconvenience by Chrysler and Nissan, being something that has not occurred since March 1997.A more concerning fact is that only one Honda model saw a growth in matter of sales figures from last year. Honda sales are off about 3 percent while the US industry is up about 11 percent.