Chrysler Group LLC Deputy Chief Executive Jim Press has conveyed his plans to leave the automaker by November, according to a person briefed on the still-confidential discussion.

Press, 62, was the only member of Chrysler's senior leadership team to remain with the company after a fast-track bankruptcy under the supervision of the U.S. Treasury.

His departure now would leave the No. 3 U.S. automaker without a sales chief or a visible executive at the top at a time when it is struggling to execute a new turnaround and pay back taxpayers for loans to restructure its operations.

The decision by Press to leave Chrysler was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

A former senior executive at Toyota Motor Corp <7203.T>, Press joined Chrysler in 2007 shortly after it was acquired by its former owner Cerberus Capital Management LP.

Chrysler declined to comment. We do not comment on rumor and speculation, spokeswoman Shawn Morgan said.

Press was not immediately available for comment.

A move to leave Chrysler now by Press would mark the end of a rough ride for a veteran executive who built a reputation at Toyota as a strong advocate for dealers.

Press said he wanted to restore an American icon when he joined Chrysler, but his term at the No. 3 U.S. automaker corresponded with a slide into bankruptcy and a controversial decision to slash Chrysler dealerships.

(Editing by Leslie Gevirtz)

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