FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. -

A former General Motors executive who orchestrated campaigns for Saturn and Cadillac is coming on board with Hyundai Motor America as its vice president of marketing.

The automaker announced Thursday that Steve Shannon will be responsible for all marketing activities in the United States and report to president and chief executive officer John Krafcik.

“We’re delighted to have Steve Shannon on board as our vice president of marketing,” Krafcik insisted.

“Steve has delivered great marketing results throughout his career, from his very earliest days at Saturn working with Hal Riney & Partners, to his more recent luxury foray, kick-starting Cadillac’s recovery,” Krafcik continued.

“He’s a marketing innovator with strong convictions about serving the customer. At the same time he’s personable, enthusiastic and professional — a perfect fit for us at Hyundai,” Krafcik went on to say.

Prior to joining Hyundai, officials recounted that Shannon held a number of posts at GM in the U.S. and Europe in marketing and other areas.

Hyundai Halts Vehicle Return Program

Coming on the heels of its VP announcement, Hyundai recently discontinued its vehicle return program because of “decreasing joblessness.”

The automaker indicated to Edmunds.com’s InsideLine.com that only 350 people took advantage of the program in two years. The site noted Hyundai sold 538,228 vehicles in the U.S. last year.

To recap, Hyundai rolled out the program in January 2009 and let customers return their unit if they unexpectedly lost their income.

“The job loss program, which was a component of the Hyundai Assurance program, will no longer be offered,” Hyundai spokesman Dan Bedore told Edmunds.com.

“Hyundai is happy to note that while joblessness in the U.S. remains a serious economic problem, it has been decreasing in the U.S. and is no longer a concern of the vast majority of new-car buyers,” Bedore added.

Bedore went on to emphasize the Hyundai Assurance program, which includes the automaker’s 10-year/100,000-mile warranty and five-year roadside assistance, remains in effect.