Eight months after taking the helm of Cadillac's Book vehicle subscription service, Melody Lee says she is leaving the automaker.
Lee, an Automotive News Rising Star in 2014, announced her mid-August departure Wednesday on LinkedIn, saying she doesn't "know what's next" but she's "excited for it."
"It was truly a privilege to be able to do what I did for the last six years, and I will never forget my colleagues, partners and friends made along the way," she said.
Lee's departure is the first reported change to the brand's executive ranks since General Motors replaced Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen with Steve Carlisle, formerly head of the company's Canadian operations, in April.
Lee, who was one of GM's youngest-ever executives, was recruited by then-Cadillac head Bob Ferguson in 2012 to be director of the brand's marketing. Under de Nysschen, she developed and oversaw the launch of the brand's "Dare Greatly" campaign and created and launched Book by Cadillac. She was appointed global director of the subscription service on Nov. 1.
Lee, when reached Wednesday by Automotive News, confirmed the plans but declined to comment any further.
Cadillac spokesperson Andrew Lipman confirmed Lee "has elected to resign from Cadillac to pursue other interests." He said Sean Thornton has assumed Lee's responsibilities as lead of Book by Cadillac, with Lee assisting with the transition.
Thornton, according to his LinkedIn profile, has held several positions since starting with the brand as national advertising manager in August 2012. He also served as Cadillac chief of staff to de Nysschen and senior manager of Cadillac's international operations, a position he will retain until a replacement is found.
The leadership change, according to Lipman, does not impact the brand's current or future plans for the subscription service, which was in the process of expanding its operations.
Book by Cadillac launched last year as a pilot program in New York City. It was the first of its kind, and has since expanded to Los Angeles and Dallas metropolitan areas.
While not profitable, the expected to be part of Cadillac's long-term plans to venture into nontraditional automotive segments.
"Right now, it's important to us to keep this like a true startup and invest in understanding what this market and this business really look like," Lee told Automotive News in March. "My goal is to make this a profitable business unit for Cadillac."
Prior to Cadillac, Lee held executive roles at New York-based Hill+Knowlton Strategies, where she advised the International Olympic Committee ahead of the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing. She also was part of a team in 2009 that advised Live Nation and TicketMaster Entertainment on their controversial merger.
