Mark LaNeve is vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service, a position he was named to in February 2015.
In his role, LaNeve is responsible for all marketing, sales, service, customer care and dealer relations for the Ford and Lincoln brands. He is focused on continuing to build the Ford brand through innovative new digital communications and transforming the retail experience for customers.
He reports to Kumar Galhotra, group vice president and president, Ford North America.
LaNeve came to Ford after several years leading the company’s marketing and advertising agency, Global Team Blue, where he was chief operating officer since August, 2012. In this role, LaNeve led not only Team Detroit, which services the Ford brand in the U.S., but also the agency’s operations in London, Sao Paulo and Shanghai, as well as Hudson Rouge, the Lincoln agency in New York City.
Prior to joining Team Detroit, LaNeve was senior executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Allstate Insurance in Chicago, a position he was named in October 2009. While at Allstate, he launched the widely acclaimed and award winning Mayhem campaign.
LaNeve has nearly three decades of global sales and marketing experience in the automotive industry, having held a number of leadership roles at General Motors and Volvo Cars of N.A.
LaNeve began his career in the Los Angeles zone office for the Cadillac Division of GM in 1981. After a series of sales and marketing positions, he was named Marketing Director of Cadillac in 1994.
Following a brief stint at Pontiac, LaNeve left GM to become CEO of Volvo Cars of N.A. At Volvo, he helped lead a resurgence of the brand into the premium space of the U.S. market and was heavily involved in the integration of Volvo with Ford, which purchased the brand in 1999.
LaNeve returned to GM in 2001 when he was named general manager of the Cadillac brand that was preparing for a product renaissance and was named “Grand Marketer of the Year” by Brandweek magazine in 2003 for his work. He later was named GM vice president, sales, service and marketing in 2005, leading that organization through one of the most tumultuous and difficult periods in U.S. automotive history. Always known as a “dealer guy”, LaNeve’s team launched a number of innovative sales programs including the successful “Employee Pricing for Everyone” campaign.
He is highly involved with various organizations that assist people affected by autism and sits on the boards of Autism Speaks in New York City and Eton Academy for different learners in Birmingham, Mich. LaNeve also serves on the board of Angel’s Place, a non-profit organization that provides people-centered services, including homes and professional support, for adults with developmental disabilities.
LaNeve, born in 1959, holds a bachelor’s degree in business communications and marketing from the University of Virginia. He lives with his wife, Paula, and twin sons in Northville, Mich.