Deborah Meyer

As of August 15 Deborah Meyer will be serving as both VP and premier CMO at Chrysler.

Chrysler's quest to fill the shoes of senior VP George Murphy of global brand marketing - who left in late May - was conducted by Heidrick & Struggles, according to Advertising Age. But a spokesman with the company said he only just learned of the CMO search, and that the leading candidate hadn't formally signed on.

Past employers for Deborah Meyer included Ford Motor Co. and Mazda North America Operations, also controlled by Ford. She joined Toyota in 2001.

Last week saw an announcement that perhaps was less expected than news of the CMO designation. Bob Nardelli was selected as the company's new CEO. At some point it is expected that Nardelli will slash ad spending, based on his actions at Home Depot, where he previously held the CEO title.

The first half of 2007 has been turbulent for the company. Chrysler Group sustained a loss of almost $2 billion in Q1, a financial blow attributed mainly to the approximate $1 billion spent for restructuring. And in May, a newly-privatized Chrysler expressed a desire to pursue new media ad opportunities with fervor.