DETROIT -

General Motors chose  a former Nordstrom and Walt Disney executive as its chief digital officer, a move that will be effective on Oct. 16.

Edward Kummer, in his new role at GM, will be responsible for building and delivering a holistic digital business guided by GM's growth strategy, leading a newly formed Digital Business team, and accelerating software investments that will redefine consumer expectations.

He will report to GM president Mark Reuss.

"We are creating new digital experiences for our customers, both inside and outside of the vehicle, to enhance their lives and keep them connected to an increasingly digital world," Reuss said in a news release. "As our business model evolves to reflect the vital role that software plays in our products and services, and the new opportunities it enables, Edward's proven track record of digital and ecommerce expertise and leadership make him a huge asset for us.  He's done great work for companies known for superior customer experience, and we're delighted to have him on our team."

Highlighting the new hire's background in more detail, Kummer was president of Nordstrom Rack's online business and Nordstrom's HauteLook brand, where he led an integrated online site and executed an omni-channel strategy, resulting in increased online sales and significant profit growth. GM said that his expertise includes leading omni-channel, marketing and digital efforts across multiple industries that have "digitally transformed for the benefit of the consumer and business growth, including travel, wealth management, consumer products, retail and entertainment."

Kummer also spent 18 years at the Walt Disney Company in multiple strategic leadership roles, generating profitable results there. He also worked for companies like Victoria's Secret, Luxottica, Oakley Goldman Sachs, before moving over to Norstrom. 

In his new role at GM, Kummer will be in charge of ensuring commercial success and strategic investments to "establish digital market leadership." He will be leading a dedicated digital team structured around GM's digital lines of business, each of which will have a dedicated commercial leader who will be accountable for all aspects of the operations.

GM shared that this integrated approach will connect value chains and capitalize on adjacencies, enabling GM to move faster and grow its digital business while remaining hyper-focused on speed of service to the customer. 

"I am passionate about GM's zero-crashes, zero-emissions and zero-congestion vision, especially its impactful role in sustainable transportation. I am excited to leverage my digital expertise to create transformative experiences that will generate a lasting connection with the customer and foster a lifelong affinity to GM's brands and products," said Kummer in the news announcement. "As a car enthusiast, I have been admiring the caliber of GM's vehicles. GM's innovative platform and the immense growth opportunities are particularly inspiring to me."