GM taps Nissan's marketing chief to lead Buick and GMC

What's the deal? General MotorsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has hired NissanDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →'s marketing chief Allyson WitherspoonDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → to run its BuickDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and GMC brands together, combining leadership of the two under a single executive.

Why now? The move consolidates oversight of the two brands, a shift that streamlines GM's marketing structure and reshuffles who runs its consumer-facing operations. It marks the third external marketing hire in nine months under GM communications-and-marketing chief Lin-Hua Wu.

The signal: Bringing in an outside marketing leader — and pairing Buick and GMC under one executive — points to GM tightening its brand strategy as automakers fight for share in a shifting market.

Read more: Yahoo Finance