LaSorda to Hand Over Marketing ReinsLaSorda to Hand Over Marketing Reins

Tom LaSorda's term at the helm of Chrysler Group's sales and marketing operations is nearing an end.

“I'm going to keep it for, probably, a couple more months,” says LaSorda, who also is president and CEO.

And he “definitely will not go outside (Chrysler)” for a successor to Joe Eberhardt, who left the post in December after a rift developed between the auto maker and its dealer body.

Dealers were saddled with a glut of poorly equipped vehicles after Chrysler overscheduled production during second-half 2006. The result left dealers disgruntled and forced the auto maker to stockpile vehicles for which there were no orders.

To formally make amends, LaSorda delivered a clear message at a meeting with his retailers at the 2007 National Automobile Dealers Assn. convention last month: “Trust us. We'll back you guys up.”

He has met with dealers in a bid to restore their faith in Chrysler. “We committed (to dealers) that we'd get sales moving.