Kim McCullough, 59, Jaguar Land Rover’s vice president of marketing for North America, left the company last week, ending a long run with the luxury importer.
For now, North American CEO Joe Eberhardt will assume McCullough’s duties. McCullough took over as vice president of marketing in September 2014 after working as brand vice president of Land Rover during some of its highest growth years.
This was her second stint at the company. From 1997 to 2001, McCullough worked in marketing for Land Rover, which was owned by BMW until being sold to Ford Motor Co. in 2000. She then held numerous senior marketing jobs at Toyota, Nissan and Lexus. She returned to Land Rover in 2011.
In 2015, she was named one of Automotive News’ 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry.
Her departure comes at a crucial time for Jaguar Land Rover. The company is on the cusp of one of the most important launches in its history. The new-generation Land Rover Defender is scheduled to arrive at dealerships in a matter of weeks.
Even though the Defender plant in Nitra, Slovakia, has been closed since March 20, JLR officials say the Defender will launch on time in the United States in late spring.