Ford Shake Up at the Top!

P. A. Schilke

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Hi Folks,

Here is a blurb of the changes Jim Farley is making in the post Hacket leadership of Ford. Glad to see Hacket gone...Leadership of a business desk manufacture, Steelcase did not work for an Automotive Manufacturer. Farley is a vehicle guy! I wish him the best!

Hi Team,


Today is a pivotal moment for our wonderful company. While it is “day one” for me as your new CEO, more importantly, it’s day one for us to come together as a team to deliver an exciting and vibrant Ford for each other, and all of our stakeholders. I am so humbled and grateful to have this opportunity to work with all of you.


Over the past several weeks, I have been meeting with as many of you as possible and working with the leadership team to develop our plan for the company and determine the changes needed to our organization to deliver the plan.


The attached news release will provide more specifics on the plan and the organizational changes. I especially encourage you to join our Global Town Hall today, at 8:05 a.m. EDT, where you’ll hear much more on today’s announcements. In case you miss the town hall, it will be available via video on demand later today.


While we have challenging times ahead, especially as we still battle this global pandemic, I want you to know I will come to work every day focused on growing the impact and value of Ford for you, our awesome Ford team, and our customers, dealers and partners.


Thank you for your support and all you do for Ford.


Jim





DEARBORN – Ford is continuing to streamline and transform its global business, making changes in how the company is organized and operates to deliver executional excellence that benefits customers and delivers sustained profitable growth.


Jim Farley, who today succeeds Jim Hackett as Ford’s president and CEO, outlined key goals and organizational changes during a virtual town hall meeting with the company’s global team. Farley said Ford plans to move with urgency to turn around its automotive operations – improving quality, reducing costs and accelerating the restructuring of underperforming businesses.


At the same time, Ford will grow by:


  • Allocating more capital, resources and talent to its strongest businesses and vehicle franchises
  • Expanding its leading commercial vehicle business with a suite of software services that drive loyalty and recurring revenue streams
  • Offering compelling, uniquely Ford fully electric vehicles at scale around the world, including Transit, F-Series, Mustang, SUVs and Lincoln
  • Adding more affordable vehicles to its global lineup, including in North America
  • Standing up new customer-facing businesses enabled by Argo AI’s world-class self-driving system

“During the past three years, under Jim Hackett’s leadership, we have made meaningful progress and opened the door to becoming a vibrant, profitably growing company,” Farley said. “Now it’s time to charge through that door.”


“We are going to compete like a challenger – allocate capital to higher growth and return opportunities to create value – and earn customers for life through great products and a rewarding ownership experience.”


Ford is making changes to its operating model to help deliver on these priorities, including:


Farley said the company is targeting consistent operating performance that includes adjusted earnings before interest and taxes of 8% of revenue with strong automotive adjusted free cash flow, so the company can fully invest in customers and growth.


Ford is making changes to its operating model to help deliver on these priorities, including:


  • Concentrating decision-making and accountability around product and customer groups in three regional business units – The Americas and International Markets; Europe; and China
  • Accelerating innovation to be a leader in new businesses such as autonomous vehicles and mobility
  • Harnessing expertise in industrial platforms to develop world-class connected vehicles
  • Unleashing technology and software in ways that set Ford apart from competitors
  • Embracing and increasing the diversity of backgrounds, experiences and talent across the company

Farley said the company is targeting consistent operating performance that includes adjusted earnings before interest and taxes of 8% of revenue with strong automotive adjusted free cash flow, so the company can fully invest in customers and growth.


Ford today also announced key leadership changes.


John Lawler, 54, will become CFO today, overseeing the Finance and Ford Motor Credit organizations. Lawler will succeed Tim Stone, who has accepted a position as chief operating officer and chief financial officer at ASAPP Inc., a research-driven, artificial-intelligence software company. Stone will remain with Ford through Oct. 15 to ensure a smooth transition.


Lawler has most recently been serving as CEO of Ford Autonomous Vehicles and vice president, Mobility Partnerships, and spent much of his 30 years at Ford in finance leadership and general management. He served as president of Ford China for nearly four years when the company achieved record in-country performance. He also served as corporate controller and CFO, Global Markets and head of worldwide strategy.


“John knows our company inside-out, has a clear view and great ambition for what Ford can be, and articulates what’s needed to get there,” Farley said. “As CFO, he will help assure we have the means to fund those ambitions.”


Lawler’s successor in his current position, who will oversee the New Businesses group going forward, will be named later.


“Tim has been a powerful voice inside the company pushing us all to persistently focus on our customers and what they want and need,” Farley said. “He also played a critical leadership role in guiding the company through the COVID-19 crisis. We thank Tim for his contributions and wish him the best.”


Jeff Lemmer, Ford’s chief information officer, will retire Jan. 1 after 33 years with the company. A successor for Lemmer as CIO, who will lead the Technology and Software platform, will be announced in the near future.


“Jeff has been an outstanding leader at Ford and that was never truer than this year, when he and the IT team kept our company fully connected and operational during the pandemic,” Farley said. “Ford shifted more than 100,000 people around the world to remote work virtually overnight because of COVID-19, and our information systems haven’t missed a beat.”


Ford will strengthen its commitment to two key areas by having separate senior leaders run the Lincoln Motor Company and Global Marketing.


Joy Falotico, 53, who has been president of Lincoln and Ford’s chief marketing officer for nearly three years, will be dedicated solely to further growing Ford’s luxury brand once a new chief marketing officer is named shortly. She will report to Kumar Galhotra, president, The Americas and International Markets.


“This change will allow Joy to focus on accelerating Lincoln’s global growth through great vehicles and services and a truly differentiated customer experience,” Galhotra said. “Lincoln’s completely refreshed lineup is resonating with customers in the U.S. as well as in China, where we are now producing the Lincoln Aviator and Corsair locally, for Chinese customers – and that’s just the beginning.”


Separately, in Europe, Dale Wishnousky, 57, vice president, Manufacturing, Ford of Europe, will retire at the end of the year. His career with the company started in 1987 and spanned key manufacturing and service leadership roles in multiple countries. Kieran Cahill, 53, previously director, Manufacturing and Strategic Projects, Ford of Europe, succeeds Wishnousky, effective immediately.
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wanted33

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I worked in the big business corporate world in my second life. When I hear words like "we have made meaningful progress" spoken about a CEO that speaks volumes. Most of the time it isn't very good. I wish Mr. Farley much luck. Turning a company as big as Ford around is like turning a super tanker in a shallow inlet. It takes time.

BTW, let me rephrase my first sentence. I wasn't really anybody. I was just a peon that worked with, and around the higher ups. But with being that fly on the wall, I heard things. :)
 
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njdriver19

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I don’t know about the upper crust of Ford management but I am familiar with some terrible Ford supervisors who can not be trusted.

further, Ford’s policy of coming down on union members in a harsh manners is still ever present.
 
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wanted33

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I don’t know about the upper crust of Ford management but I am familiar with some terrible Ford supervisors who can not be trusted.

further, Ford’s policy of coming down on union members in a harsh manners is still ever present.
Wes, I was a Union Executive in the company I was with. I understand what you're saying. It's like a dance, and the companies want to lead every time. But, that's life. It was up to us to change the music so we could lead from time to time. :)
 


Porpoise Hork

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Interesting. Guess well we shall see how well he does.

Ford as with many auto manufacturers have cut costs so much and in areas that have really impacted the quality as well as safety of their cars. Mustang - brake pedal bracket fracture recall for example. So any improvement in quality, especially for things like a brake pedal bracket is definitely a good thing.
 

dtech

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Was it Hackett that signed off on decontenting that pen tray in the Ranger ? Maybe he'll go back to the furniture business.
 

gfitzge2

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rang19ca

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I hope it all works out for the positive. I have worked on and owned Ford vehicles for 30+ years and have seen all sides of the business as a Fleet and personal vehicle user/owner.
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