Automobile Reviews :Ford Shakes Its Upper Management Tree

The Ford Motor Company continues to embrace change, an ongoing process that seems to have gained steam ever since Alan Mulally flew away from Boeing to take over the automaker’s reigns in 2006. Before then Bill Ford was in charge, an executive with a friendly face but not known

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The Ford Motor Company continues to embrace change, an ongoing process that seems to have gained steam ever since Alan Mulally flew away from Boeing to take over the automaker’s reigns in 2006.

Before then Bill Ford was in charge, an executive with a friendly face but not known as someone possessing the business acumen needed to ensure that Ford would survive its second century. Bill’s role as executive chairman today is mostly benign, officiating over ribbon-cutting events while reassuring Ford family faithful that their investment remains on solid ground.

Asset Sale
With Alan in charge, he did the unthinkable by hocking all of the company’s assets in order to gain access to tens of billions of dollars of cash, money needed to transform the automaker from a weak national contender to a manufacturer of exciting and high quality passenger vehicles. That move kept Ford out of bankruptcy and away from the same hand guiding the restructuring of General Motors and Chrysler.

Following Ford’s May announcement that Mercury would be closed down in the fourth quarter of this year and that Lincoln would soon benefit from as many as seven new or vastly updated models over the next four years, Ford signaled that it would continue to make whatever changes are necessary to keep the momentum going.

Volvo Deal
On Wednesday, Ford announced three executive changes each of which will take place once Ford closes on its deal to sell Volvo to China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Limited before the third quarter ends. Those changes are:

John Fleming, 58, Ford executive vice president currently serving dual roles as Chairman and CEO of Ford of Europe and head of Global Manufacturing and Labor affairs, will lead the company’s Global Manufacturing & Labor Affairs operations.

Stephen Odell, 55, currently CEO of Volvo Cars, is appointed a Ford group vice president and succeeds Fleming as chairman and CEO of Ford of Europe.

Stuart Rowley, 43, chief financial officer of Volvo, becomes chief financial officer, Ford of Europe.

In addition, Jim Farley, 48, will take an expanded role as Ford’s global leader for marketing, sales and service around the world. Currently, Farley is Ford group vice president, Global Marketing and Canada, Mexico and South America operation.

One Ford
Ford says it is reorganizing its operations in Canada, Mexico and South America. On August 1, Eduardo Serrano, 50, who is currently president and CEO of Ford of Mexico, will become executive director, Latin America, with responsibility for the company’s operations in Mexico and South America. Serrano and Ford of Canada president David Mondragon will report to Mark Fields, Ford executive vice president and president of the Americas.

Related to the announcement Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally commented, “These moves allow us to strengthen our global team as we accelerate our One Ford plan and continue to profitably grow serving our customers around the world.”

Source: Ford Motor Company

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