J. Christopher Preuss

Executive Vice President, WPP Group

As a WPP Group Executive Vice President, Preuss leads the Global Team Ford Communications, one of WPP’s largest corporate clients. In this capacity, he oversees a multi-agency team including H+K Strategies, OgilvyPR, and Burson Cohn and Wolf (and several others) in a model that utilizes top agency resources from across the WPP network to service Ford Motor Company around the world.

Prior to joining Ford, Preuss was the Chief Marketing and Communications officer of Aptiv (formerly Delphi Automotive), a leading mobility technology provider. He also served as Ford Motor Company’s Head of Communications for the Americas. Preuss spent the major part of his career with General Motors as a key player in GM’s epic emergence from bankruptcy as Global Vice President of Communication. While with GM, he also served as President and CEO of OnStar, where he piloted a major restructuring of the business. Preuss also served as GM’s Vice President of European Communications in Zurich, Switzerland, where he was responsible for all external and internal communications, including the Saab, Opel, Vauxhall and Chevrolet brands. He also led Communications for GM in Washington DC, where he dealt with several complex policy issues including health care, global climate change, labor, and alternative fuels. Prior to GM, Preuss held a variety of roles with the then Chrysler corporation and has held stints with several PR agencies early in his career.

Preuss is a Michigan native and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Political Science from Michigan State University, where he was recognized with the 2011 Outstanding Alumni Award for the School of Communications Arts and Sciences. He is an avid cyclist and resides with Stacey, his wife of 25-years, in the suburban Detroit area.