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Ford Ousts CEO Fields


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Let's consolidate the topic. Some reporting:

 

 

 

In a broad management shake-up, Ford Motor Co. is ousting CEO Mark Fields and reassigning three senior executives to create a new structure intended to speed decision-making in the rapidly changing auto-and-mobility sector, according to sources close to the situation.

 

Jim Hackett, a former CEO of Steelcase Inc. and one-time Ford director who now serves as president of Ford Smart Mobility LLC, will become president and CEO of the Dearborn-based automaker.

 

 

 

 

Evidence continues to mount, Ford executives have said privately in recent weeks, that the automaker under Fields failed to move quickly enough to realign its business to maximize growth, to boost return on invested capital and to reassure investors that Ford is effectively managing its transition from a century-old automaker to what it calls an “auto-and-mobility company.” Sources said Ford’s directors found Fields moving too slowly on such things as the Blue Oval presence in India and whether it should withdraw from the small-car segment in the United States, among other things.

 


 

The new senior management structure is designed to emphasize quicker decision-making and crisper execution, the sources say.
Jim Farley, head of Ford Europe, Middle East and Africa since January 2015, is expected to oversee Ford’s regions, global marketing and sales, and Lincoln Motor Co.
Joe Hinrichs, head of the Americas since December 2012, will manage global product development, manufacturing and labor affairs, purchasing, and environmental and safety engineering.
Marcy Klevorn, vice president of information technology and chief technical officer since January, will oversee Hackett’s Ford Smart Mobility unit.
And Mark Truby, head of communications for Ford Europe and, more recently, in the Asia Pacific region, returns to Dearborn to become vice president of communications. A former auto writer and business editor for The Detroit News, he replaces Ray Day, who will retire at year’s end.
Edited by Harley Lover
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"withdraw from the small car market in the United States". Really? This idea is on the table right now?

 

Given something like the Ecosport would sell roughly in the same numbers as the Fiesta at a higher price point...well there you go.

 

But at the same time they can't completely remove themselves from the market because of CAFE and well if gas prices spike again.

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http://jalopnik.com/ford-ceo-mark-fields-reportedly-fired-in-management-sha-1795421644

 

 


The shakeup is a result of Executive Chairman Bill Ford and the rest of the board losing confidence in Fields’ leadership, according to people familiar with the board’s thinking. Fields replaced Alan Mulally in mid-2014, but lacked his predecessor’s ability to rally employees around a common mission or to make critical decisions about the company’s strategy.

 

“Without Alan, it’s back to the inmates running the asylum,” said one insider.

 

Directors were increasingly alarmed by the deterioration in Ford’s business, despite hefty profits from its flagship F-series pickup truck line, said people familiar with the board’s thinking.

Edited by Anthony
oops....forgot I was not in Jira. Wrong markup
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Get rid of small cars??? Brilliant- the press and the Wall St. bobble heads will praise new Ford management for .."swift decisive action" and the stock will jump- ...........until the Iranians sink a few VLCC's in the Strait of Hormuz, the "Greenies" shut down fracking, shipment of crude in railcars is banned unless the rail cars have "triple shells" or some other bulletproof bullshit and gas is 4 bucks again.

 

Hopefully cooler heads will prevail.

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Get rid of small cars??? Brilliant- the press and the Wall St. bobble heads will praise new Ford management for .."swift decisive action" and the stock will jump- ...........until the Iranians sink a few VLCC's in the Strait of Hormuz, the "Greenies" shut down fracking, shipment of crude in railcars is banned unless the rail cars have "triple shells" or some other bulletproof bullshit and gas is 4 bucks again.

 

Hopefully cooler heads will prevail.

 

I don't see them removing themselves from the small car market...why abandon a market when you have product from other parts of the world that pay for its development costs?

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I don't see them removing themselves from the small car market...why abandon a market when you have product from other parts of the world that pay for its development costs?

 

For that matter, can Fiesta be produced in Europe and imported here?

 

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On the CEO thing - I'm thinking this guy will only be around a few years. Just seems like a random and odd fit to me (though I suppose Mulally was too).

 

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I'm somewhat concerned about what happens with Lincoln with this new guy in charge. If it weren't for Fields, Lincoln probably wouldn't be here anymore. Hopefully this guy maintains the effort/resources that was being put into the brand.

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I can see Ford replacing the Fiesta with the EcoSport in North America, but keeping the Focus. Americans aren't too enthusiastic about cars that small. Killing off both the Focus and Fiesta in North America would be a mistake, in my opinion.

 

Given that buyer preference has already shifted from the larger SUVs and crossovers to smaller models, such as the Ford Escape and Honda CR-V, I don't see a spike in fuel prices necessarily causing a stampede to small cars. If anything, experience has taught Americans that spikes in fuel prices tend to be temporary, so the smart choice is to buy a relatively fuel-efficient vehicle in the first place, which makes it easier to ride out any spike in gasoline prices. An Escape is hardly a gas-guzzler.

 

As for Lincoln - it seems to be doing reasonably well, and it has to make money, given that the division is selling vehicles on common platforms but with higher transaction prices.

Edited by grbeck
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First thoughts:

 

I think Farley will be the one to determine what happens with Lincoln, and I *think* he understands the importance of Lincoln to Ford's fortunes.

 

Where did Raj Nair land in this shake up? It looks like his responsibilities went to others.

 

The aborted plant in Mexico stands as an homage to Fields poor management. Fiasco is a proper description.

Edited by Harley Lover
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The aborted plant in Mexico stands as an homage to Fields poor management. Fiasco is a proper description.

That had more to do with market shifts then anything else. I took that plant as where they would build pretty much all C class products. Given the market shifts and expected demand for the Model E, it made more sense just to build it at a plant that just needed an expansion.

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That had more to do with market shifts then anything else. I took that plant as where they would build pretty much all C class products. Given the market shifts and expected demand for the Model E, it made more sense just to build it at a plant that just needed an expansion.

 

I don't disagree with what you're saying, but I have a problem with management that would use this excuse for such a mistake. It is the job of management to understand the market into which it sells, and to plan accordingly. To make such a large commitment, then to shut it down months later, does nothing to engender trust in management's ability to run the business. Fields found that out.

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First thoughts:

 

I think Farley will be the one to determine what happens with Lincoln, and I *think* he understands the importance of Lincoln to Ford's fortunes.

 

Where did Raj Nair land in this shake up? It looks like his responsibilities went to others.

 

The aborted plant in Mexico stands as an homage to Fields poor management. Fiasco is a proper description.

 

I thought I saw a blurb about Nair somewhere earlier, but I can't seem to find it.

 

 

I don't disagree with what you're saying, but I have a problem with management that would use this excuse for such a mistake. It is the job of management to understand the market into which it sells, and to plan accordingly. To make such a large commitment, then to shut it down months later, does nothing to engender trust in management's ability to run the business. Fields found that out.

 

To be fair, nobody saw the sudden dramatic shift from sedans coming. However, there are several other areas where Ford has clearly lagged behind as of late.....lack of small SUVs, lackluster refreshes, limited product news (not to say they should announce everything, but having "big announcements" at NAIAS that result in a powerpoint saying "Bronco and Ranger coming!!!!!!" isn't good), etc.

Edited by rmc523
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Yeah, this ain't gonna end well.

 

If Fields represented a return to 'bad old Ford' days, then, I'm sorry, but replacing Fields with an ex-director from a thoroughly unrelated industry, because you want to accelerate your 'transition to a mobility' company, is ALSO a return to 'bad old Ford' days.

 

Steelcase?

 

C'mon. What does overpriced office furniture have to do with cars.

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I mean, you've got a director getting hired into the CEO spot after the board of directors grills Fields.

 

That's just so, so, so, so stupid. That's like what happened at GM with Akerson. BoD got fed up with Wagoner and picked one of their own to replace him.

 

Stupid.

​This is knee-jerk stupid.

 

465597.jpg?b64lines=U09NRU9ORSBFTFNFIQpT

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