[soupy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20091123/BUSI...but-not-forever

[BORG]

How Long? Who knows!

Who's next? Richard Jensen! :)

[blksn8k2]

BORG, on Nov 23 2009, 11:44 AM, said:

How Long? Who knows!

Who's next? Richard Jensen! :)

No offense, RJ, but I'm guessing Mr Fields has the inside track.

[Edstock]

Well, compared to Nardelli or the goof who runs Porsche, RJ has to be better than they. :)

[ironhorse]

Mulally is perhaps worth more in the market now than he will ever be. I wouldn't be surprised if another company opened their checkbook took a shot at hiring him... however I think he is not completely motivated by money.

This post has been edited by ironhorse: 23 November 2009 - 12:43 PM

[ausrutherford]

ironhorse, on Nov 23 2009, 12:42 PM, said:

Mulally is perhaps worth more in the market now than he will ever be. I wouldn't be surprised if another company opened their checkbook took a shot at hiring him... however I think he is not completely motivated by money.

He took a pay cut so i doubt its the money.

If he would retie in like 2-3 years...it would be Kusak. But if like 7...itd be Fields. I hope its the latter, Kusak isnt a good public speaker which PR is everything nowdays.

[Deanh]

ausrutherford, on Nov 23 2009, 02:33 PM, said:

He took a pay cut so i doubt its the money.

If he would retie in like 2-3 years...it would be Kusak. But if like 7...itd be Fields. I hope its the latter, Kusak isnt a good public speaker which PR is everything nowdays.

I vote for matt.

[Harley Lover]

ausrutherford, on Nov 23 2009, 01:33 PM, said:

He took a pay cut so i doubt its the money.

If he would retie in like 2-3 years...it would be Kusak. But if like 7...itd be Fields. I hope its the latter, Kusak isnt a good public speaker which PR is everything nowdays.

Don't forget Farley - he's been given operation responsibilities for the purpose of grooming him for the top job. Another possible candidate (can't remember his name right now) is the guy who just got promoted from head of global production to an operational gig on a global basis - I think his name is Heinrich or something close.

I don't think it would be Kusak, not until he has operational responsibilities in his experience portfolio. I think he might have the perfect temperment for the job, but he needs the experience too.

This post has been edited by Harley Lover: 23 November 2009 - 02:35 PM

[battyr]

I think Ford has a policy of mandatory retirement at 65 yrs. for the CEO?

IMHO Fields and Booth are the top contenders. They both have experience over looking every aspect of the the many division that they were responsible for. The both have experience at turning around their division. Booth is next in line today because he is already executive vice president and chief financial officer. He is also getting close to the mandatory retirement age. Fields currently has a special job to turn around the American operations and is working closely with Mulally and other top executives. I think that once he is done, he will be promoted to a world wide position and his old position will either be eliminated or be come a minor one. This will be part of making Ford more of a "One Ford". Fields is high performance and gets results. He is also younger and less conservative than Booth.

Farley does not have enough experience out side of Marketing. I don't know enough about Hinrichs. It might end up on who performs the best over the next several years.

[jpd80]

While CEO is important, I sense that the new One Ford is more about power sharing with VPs
and giving them more responsibility and accountability. Mulally's weekly meetings where
the chiefs sit down and discuss their area's progress or problems is one example of change.
People share their problems more openly now and seek the help of group members,
you would never see that in the old Ford structure.

So whilst Mulally is instrumental in bringing change to the physical side of the business,
it's the mental emotional side that he's really nurturing and cultivating. These VPs and
future leaders are learning to trust each other and consult to make the company better.

I don't know how the rest of you feel but if i worker in a large corporate with a great bunch
of VPs that I could trust and I got paid well, was able to do my job effectively without negativity
I wouldn't really care who leads us from that group, so long as the structure and trust remained.

I think this is Mulally's goal, to make them all feel worthy of the job and to make them recognise
each other's talent and that some day one of them will be leader, support everyone and prosper.

This post has been edited by jpd80: 23 November 2009 - 03:30 PM

[battyr]

I don't see Mulally making the decision on his replacement. Bill Ford will make that decision.

It is a good strategy not to make that decision until it needs to be made. Best to wait and see how all candidates perform.

[RichardJensen]

Harley Lover, on Nov 23 2009, 01:31 PM, said:

Don't forget Farley - he's been given operation responsibilities for the purpose of grooming him for the top job. Another possible candidate (can't remember his name right now) is the guy who just got promoted from head of global production to an operational gig on a global basis - I think his name is Heinrich or something close.

I don't think it would be Kusak, not until he has operational responsibilities in his experience portfolio. I think he might have the perfect temperment for the job, but he needs the experience too.

Hinrichs. Joe Hinrichs. Very capable guy. But 'not ready for prime time' just yet.

And I agree about Kuzak, although I suspect he may not want the top job (which, if you go by the old Hitchhiker's Guide theory, means that he's the most qualified).

This post has been edited by RichardJensen: 23 November 2009 - 06:29 PM

[J-150]

Mulally worked out so well, maybe Bill might look to the outside again.

[Ron W.]

battyr, on Nov 23 2009, 02:10 PM, said:

I don't see Mulally making the decision on his replacement. Bill Ford will make that decision.

I'd bet that Mulally has a lot of input on that decision though.

[Paul Selby]

I vote for hemisbc.

Remember this classic post;

DEARBORN, MI (AP): At a surprisingly candid Sunday afternoon press conference Ford Motor Co. Chairman and CEO William Clay Ford, Jr. announced his resignation. "After being born and raised a Ford, with my family's name on millions of cars sold in every corner of the globe, after doing everything that I can to learn this business, to treat employees, suppliers, and customers like extended members of the Ford family, I have found someone that I can trust this company to." Ford then elaborated on his plan of transferring the dual roles of chairman and CEO to a relative newcomer to the industry.

"I have complete confidence that the troll known as 'hemisbc' on the Blue Oval News bulletin board has the talent, the knowledge, and above all else, the people skills to run this company." Ford, though fallen on difficult times lately remains one of the largest employers in the nation, and with revenue in excess of $140 billion last year, one of the largest companies in the world.

Analysts were quick to laud Ford's move. "I've read 'hemi's' stuff, and I agree with it one hundred percent, most of the time," said Forbes automotive columnist Jerry Flint. "There's no question about it, hemisbc's unending criticism of Ford products has shown us the way," said Thomas Spader, chief industrial analyst at Morgenstern, Philips, and Kleiner, a Wall Street investment bank which holds a "toss overboard" rating on Ford's stock.

When finally reached for comment at his small unplumbed farm house outside Texarkana, hemisbc had this to say, "Ford has a lot of purchasing power. We are going to start buying Chrysler 300s and putting Ford badges on them." When asked about Ford's current platforms, and upcoming designs, sbc had this to say, "Well, we're going to give all of this technology to the French government. We're just going to deed it over to them. I hate the French and I hate Ford's current products, their past products, and all their future products. Since I hate Ford and I hate the French, I think they deserve each other."

The French ambassador in Washington refused to comment. Peugeot PSA expressed interest in Ford's franchised dealerships, but only off the record.

When asked why he was turning over his company to someone so opposed to its products, Ford said, "Well obviously we can't do anything right. Hemisbc has pointed that out on the Blue Oval boards hundreds of times. Since he has such a firm grasp on all our mistakes, who better to trust the company to? Besides the man obviously knows what he's talking about."

Others are not so sure. Fellow contributors to the Blue Oval forum have noted several inconsistencies, contradictions, and outright distortions in his posts. Responding to allegations that his posts are frequently inaccurate, or that they fail to include important facts, hemisbc replied, "That sounds like a bunch of liberal Democrat welfare wagon driving elitist hogwash."

As it stands today, you can expect to walk into your local Ford dealership soon, and hear a positive response when you say, "That thing got a hemi in it?"

[rmc523]

battyr, on Nov 23 2009, 02:35 PM, said:

I think Ford has a policy of mandatory retirement at 65 yrs. for the CEO?

If they do, I'd think they'd make an exception for the man who's saving the company...

J-150, on Nov 23 2009, 06:36 PM, said:

Mulally worked out so well, maybe Bill might look to the outside again.

I don't know about that...

[RichardJensen]

Did I write that?

[battyr]

J-150, on Nov 23 2009, 06:36 PM, said:

Mulally worked out so well, maybe Bill might look to the outside again.

Unlike GM executives, most of these executives have experience out side of the companies. If anyone doesn't have experience out side of Ford, they can rely on the advice from the executives that do.

[RichardJensen]

Fields & Booth are Ford lifers. But that's not necessarily a bad thing, now that some semblance of order has been put into place.

[ausrutherford]

RichardJensen, on Nov 23 2009, 09:41 PM, said:

Fields & Booth are Ford lifers. But that's not necessarily a bad thing, now that some semblance of order has been put into place.

Kinda true about Fields but he was the brainchild for Mazdas (almost Ford) rebirth in the past 10 years and hes done a great job for Ford of the Americas.