BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
smart USA Distributor LLC (www.smartusa.com),
a wholly-owned subsidiary of Penske Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:PAG),
today announced a new executive appointment with responsibilities that
will include enhancing awareness of the smart brand.
Effective January 1, 2010, Jill Lajdziak will join the smart USA
executive team as Vice President, Sales and Marketing. Ms. Lajdziak
brings thirty years of progressive automotive industry experience to
smart. Ms. Lajdziak has a reputation for building brand awareness and
customer loyalty through a focus on the customer experience and
cultivating a strong dealer network. In this role, Ms. Lajdziak will
lead the smart field sales organization, including directing all aspects
of advertising, marketing and sales promotion for the smart brand, and
will work directly with the smart dealer body to develop business
opportunities. Most recently Ms. Lajdziak was the General Manager at
Saturn.
Chairman Roger Penske commented, "I am pleased that Jill has accepted
our invitation to join smart as we enhance the position of the smart
brand as part of the automotive landscape. With her background building
the Saturn organization and her expertise in customer satisfaction,
product marketing, and brand development, Jill is an outstanding fit,
and I am confident that she will help us grow the smart brand."
About Penske Automotive
Penske Automotive Group, Inc., (www.penskeautomotive.com)
headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, operates 308 retail
automotive franchises, representing 40 different brands and 25 collision
repair centers. Penske Automotive, which sells new and previously owned
vehicles, finance and insurance products and replacement parts, and
offers maintenance and repair services on all brands it represents, has
158 franchises in 17 states and Puerto Rico and 150 franchises located
outside the United States, primarily in the United Kingdom.
Penske Automotive, through its wholly-owned subsidiary smart USA
Distributor LLC (www.smartusa.com),
is the exclusive distributor of the smart fortwo vehicle and related
parts in the United States. smart USA supports 79 smart retail centers
in the United States. Penske Automotive is a member of the Fortune 500
and Russell 1000 and has approximately 14,000 employees. smart and
fortwo are registered trademarks of Daimler AG.
Source: Penske Automotive Group, Inc.
Contact: Inquiries should contact:
Ken Kettenbeil
Director, Communications
smart USA, Inc.
248-648-2582
kkettenbeil@smartusa.com
or
Anthony R. Pordon
Senior Vice President
Penske Automotive Group, Inc.
248-648-2540
tpordon@penskeautomotive.com