MINI USA today announced senior management changes effective March 1st, 2019.
Steve Ambeau joins MINI USA succeeding McKenna as Department Head, MINI Brand Communications. In this role, Ambeau will be responsible for shaping the MINI US brand strategy, as well as leading the planning, positioning, and execution of customer-facing communications across MINI’s owned, earned, and paid channels.
Patrick McKenna assumes the role of Department Head, MINI Product Planning and Consumer Events. In this role, McKenna is responsible for the MINI USA product strategy for present and future models in the United States. In addition, McKenna is responsible for developing and executing the strategy for consumer events. McKenna will transition from his current role as Department Head, MINI Brand Communications for MINI USA, a position he has held since May 2017.
Both McKenna and Ambeau will report directly to Thomas Felbermair, Vice President, MINI Region Americas.
MINI product has always been an area that McKenna is passionate about, having made the transition from BMW to MINI USA in 2010 to lead product strategy for MINI through May 2017. After working for multiple advertising agencies, Patrick followed his dream to work for the BMW Group back in 1997 as the BMW Media Communications Manager. In 2002, he became the Department Head for BMW Marketing Communications and later added Events and CRM to his responsibility. From that time period, he is most proud of BMW Films’ induction into the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
Steve Ambeau began his marketing career in Chicago, working for Zurich Investments in their Asset Management division. He then moved back to his native country Canada, where he spent the next ten years on the creative agency side working within multiple verticals for top tier brands.
In 2011, Ambeau joined the BMW Group as Digital Communications Manager for MINI Canada before transitioning into the Brand Communications head role a year later. In 2016, Ambeau moved to Munich as MINI Global Head of Digital Marketing at the BMW Group AG headquarters where he spent the better part of two years. In his most recent role as Chief Marketing Officer for RAPID RTC, a multi-national technology provider of automotive lead management solutions, Ambeau was responsible for repositioning the brand architecture and building brand equity across Canada, USA, UK and France in a competitive B2B space.
With over twenty years of diverse marketing experience, Ambeau is rooted in digital practices with a passion for the MINI brand, technology, media planning and content created around customer insight.
I am pleased to have Patrick and Steve serve as two very experienced and passionate members of my leadership team at MINI USA, and welcome them in their new roles. Both Patrick and Steve provide a solid foundation to help lead the brand on a fresh approach to further strengthen MINI in the US market.
— Thomas Felbermair, Vice President, MINI Region Americas
Note: Press release courtesy of MINI USA.
