Volkswagen of America’s head of selling, Kimberley Gardiner, is leaving the automaker after lower than two years on the job, VW sellers had been advised Wednesday.

Gardiner, 54, one in all Automotive Information’ 100 Main Ladies within the North American Auto Trade in 2020, was employed away from Mitsubishi Motors North America in November 2020 as VW’s senior vp for model advertising and marketing. She beforehand led advertising and marketing efforts at Kia America and was chief advertising and marketing officer and vp of operations for fifth Sort, a world digital asset administration firm. She started her automotive profession with Toyota Motor Gross sales U.S.A. in 1999.

A spokesman for VW declined to touch upon her departure.

In a be aware to VW sellers Wednesday, Andrew Savvas, head of gross sales for Volkswagen of America, stated Gardiner “has knowledgeable me of her resolution to depart Volkswagen of America, efficient July fifteenth. Kimberley has been instrumental in serving to strengthen our model within the U.S. market with the introduction of the ID.4, Taos and Golf R. She has additionally helped broaden our soccer engagement technique and supplier assist applications and created a studying targeted tradition for our group. I’ll personally miss working together with her.”

Savvas stated VW’s advertising and marketing group will report back to him till a successor is recognized.

Gardiner was in her function in the course of the model’s roundly criticized “Voltswagen” stunt in March 2021, which resulted in a U.S. Securities and Change Fee investigation.