(January 5, 2010) Penske Automotive Group, the second-largest U.S. auto retailer, has named Jill Lajdziak president of its Smart USA unit that distributes Daimler minicars.

Lajdziak, former general manager of General Motors' Saturn division, replaces Dave Schembri, the Bloomfield Hills-based company said Monday. Schembri will shift to Penske's retail operations.

Smart's U.S. sales tumbled 38 percent in 2009's first 11 months, including a 66 percent slide in November. Penske, the operator of 310 dealership franchises, is the exclusive distributor for the cars in the U.S.

“As we look to enhance the position of the smart brand, Jill’s background and experience will help us reinvigorate the dealer network and bring a greater awareness to the smart brand,” Roger Penske, Penske Group chairman said.

Lajdziak and Penske started working with one another this summer, when American manufacturer GM was eyeing the sale of its Saturn brand to the retailer. When the projected deal went south, Lajdziak announced her departure from GM by the end of 2009.

Lajdziak joined GM in 1980 as a district sales manager for Chevrolet. She became manager of retailer selection for Saturn and climbed the corporate ladder to the CEO position by 1999. Lajdziak is a University of Wisconsin graduate and has a bachelor of arts degree in business marketing and management.