DETROIT -- Saad Chehab, Maserati’s global chief marketing officer, has resigned after nearly two years in the position.
Chehab, 48, resigned Sunday for personal reasons, according to a source familiar with the move.
Chehab joined Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ luxury brand in November 2013 after serving as head of the Chrysler and Lancia brands and director of advertising and brand marketing for Chrysler Group.
At Maserati, he was tasked with the job of growing the small brand globally. In 2014, he used the widely watched American football championship game, the Super Bowl, to draw attention to Maserati’s new entry-level sedan, the Ghibli, with a popular commercial called “Strike.”
In bringing Chehab to Maserati, FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne had said he wanted a greater role for Maserati globally. FCA is investing more than $1.3 billion to expand Maserati’s product range to six models, including the midsize Ghibli sedan and the Levante SUV.
Chehab, a 2012 Automotive News All-Star, was widely credited as the creative force behind Chrysler's highly successful Super Bowl commercials in 2011 and 2012 featuring Eminem and Clint Eastwood. Chehab was born in Lebanon.
As head of the Chrysler brand, Chehab embraced the "Imported from Detroit" tag line and used it to promote special editions of Chrysler vehicles.
Chehab was lured to Chrysler in 2009 after serving as director of creative services at Ford Motor Co.
