NEWS - Tuesday, June 6, 2006
Microsoft Names Jeff Bell Corporate Vice President
REDMOND, Wash. — June 6, 2006 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the appointment of Jeff Bell as the new corporate vice president of Global Marketing for the Interactive Entertainment Business, reporting directly to Peter Moore, corporate vice president for the overall Interactive Entertainment Business, effective June 12, 2006. The Interactive Entertainment Business includes the Xbox® and Games for Windows® businesses and is part of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division. Bell joins Microsoft from DaimlerChrysler, where most recently he served as vice president of product strategy for the Chrysler Group. “Jeff brings a unique mix of consumer experience and innovation to the Interactive Entertainment Business,” Moore said. “His accomplishments at DaimlerChrysler, including the creation of its owner loyalty program, his track record in driving automotive video game strategies, and his influence on urban marketing plans, are indicators of his expertise and leadership.” Bell holds a master’s degree in international economics from Johns Hopkins University and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. As an innovator in brand marketing at DaimlerChrysler, Bell led the launch of the Dodge “Grab Life by the Horns” tag line and its associated advertising, including the Hemi campaign and the Dodge and Aerosmith music alliance. He drove the formation of other key strategic alliances including Jeep and HBO’s “Band of Brothers,” Jeep and “Lara Croft: The Cradle of Life,” and Chrysler, Hypnotic and Universal Pictures, which created the Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival. Bell also pioneered new approaches to urban marketing, providing multicultural agencies with greater opportunities in the general market arena. History of Innovation Bell is largely credited with helping to turn around the Jeep and Chrysler brands during his tenure at DaimlerChrysler, and for pioneering Chrysler’s video game and online marketing strategies. Bell’s aggressive use of games as marketing tools resulted in the creation of more than 40 online games with a registered user base of more than 3 million. His work in games led to Chrysler being named Interactive Marketer of the Year in 2005 by Advertising Age. Bell received the Mediapost Online All-Star award in 2005 and was recently named one of the 21 Most Intriguing People in Marketing by Min Magazine.Source: http://www.xbox.com/
