Bobcat Company Names Laura Ness Owens Chief Marketing Officer
Bobcat Company, a global equipment, innovation and worksite solutions brand, has appointed Laura Ness Owens as chief marketing officer. In this newly established executive role, Ness Owens will lead global marketing, brand, customer experience and corporate communications strategies for the organization.
Since joining Bobcat in 2003, Ness Owens has held a variety of senior leadership roles spanning marketing, communications, brand management, dealer development and commercial training. Most recently, she served as vice president of global brand and communication and North America marketing. Her earlier career includes experience in government administration, political communications, special event management, campaign management and public policy.
“The Bobcat brand stands among the world’s most iconic, and having the privilege to help shape its journey has been nothing short of extraordinary,” said Ness Owens. “I’m energized by the opportunity to build on this legacy—empowering our talented team, deepening our connection with customers and communities, and driving bold, meaningful progress for the future.”
In her new role, Ness Owens will report to Scott Park, CEO and vice chairman of Doosan Bobcat.
As part of this strategic evolution, Bobcat is also promoting two key marketing leaders to further strengthen its brand and market presence:
- Kristen Hintermeyer has been promoted to vice president of North America marketing. A 20-year Bobcat leader, Hintermeyer brings a strategic, data-driven approach to media and channel planning, digital strategy, product marketing, data analytics and brand building. In her new role, she will steward the Bobcat brand in North America while driving demand for its iconic products and services.
- Lanelle Vasichek has been promoted to senior director of global brand. A strategic marketing and experiential leader, Lanelle brings bold vision and creative leadership to the iconic Bobcat brand. In her new role, she will lead global brand strategy and stewardship, with a focus on customer experience, brand activation, campaign development, strategic partnerships and licensing.
Together, Ness Owens, Hintermeyer and Vasichek will drive a unified, forward-looking approach to marketing and brand strategy.
About the Author
Michael Roth
Editor
Michael Roth has covered the equipment rental industry full time for RER since 1989 and has served as the magazine’s editor in chief since 1994. He has nearly 30 years experience as a professional journalist. Roth has visited hundreds of rental centers and industry manufacturers, written hundreds of feature stories for RER and thousands of news stories for the magazine and its electronic newsletter RER Reports. Roth has interviewed leading executives for most of the industry’s largest rental companies and manufacturers as well as hundreds of smaller independent companies. He has visited with and reported on rental companies and manufacturers in Europe, Central America and Asia as well as Mexico, Canada and the United States. Roth was co-founder of RER Reports, the industry’s first weekly newsletter, which began as a fax newsletter in 1996, and later became an online newsletter. Roth has spoken at conventions sponsored by the American Rental Association, Associated Equipment Distributors, California Rental Association and other industry events and has spoken before industry groups in several countries. He lives and works in Los Angeles when he’s not traveling to cover industry events.