Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Who will succeed Mullaly at Ford? It's never too early to start handicapping]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/26/who-will-succeed-mullaly-at-ford-freep-says-its-never-too-earl/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/26/who-will-succeed-mullaly-at-ford-freep-says-its-never-too-earl/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/26/who-will-succeed-mullaly-at-ford-freep-says-its-never-too-earl/#commentsFiled under: ,



When Alan Mulally arrived at Ford Motor Company three years ago, the Blue Oval was in bad shape. New product wasn't exactly pouring in and the company's cash hoard was steadily shrinking. And word on the street is that the corporate culture at Ford was in as much trouble as the product lineup, making change difficult. Now in 2009, it appears Mulally has done the near impossible, turning around Ford's product lineup while supposedly positively altering FoMoCo's corporate culture.

For all of Mulally's success, there is one problem: he's 64 and can't continue to run the company forever. And although Mulally has given no signals of separating from Ford any time soon, industry insiders are already speculating on who will become his successor. The four names that continue to come up are Ford Americas President Mark Fields, global marketing boss Jim Farley, manufacturing whiz Joe Heinrich and Ford Europe savior Lewis Booth.

The Detroit Free Press feels the early money is on Fields. The Harvard grad has been with Ford for 20 years, and he's lead some high profile success stories. He turned around Mazda and is currently piloting Ford North America in the midst of what appears to be a substantial product renaissance. Farley has an advantage in that he came to Ford from Toyota/Lexus and is seen by many as a real up and comer.

By many accounts, Heinrich is a bit of a manufacturing genius. The Harvard Business grad came from General Motors, where he became the company's youngest ever Plant Manager at age 29. Booth has the longest resume and arguably the most examples of success. He appears to have consistently met and exceeded expectations everywhere he has been, including Mazda, Ford Asia Pacific and Ford South Africa. Booth is different from his fellow executives in that he is the only one who isn't in his 40s.

We have no earthly idea who would become the next head of Ford, and we're guessing that we're at least a couple years away from finding out. We're OK with that, because this Mulally guy appears to know what he's doing.

[Source: Detroit Free Press | Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty]

Who will succeed Mullaly at Ford? It's never too early to start handicapping originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alan mulallyAlanMulallyford ceoford motor companyFordCeoFordMotorCompanyheinrichjim farleyJimFarleylewis boothLewisBoothmark fieldsMarkFieldsThu, 26 Nov 2009 13:32:00 EST<![CDATA[Ford CFO says most of line-up to be refreshed in 3 years, equates cars to donuts]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/06/ford-cfo-says-most-of-line-up-to-be-refreshed-in-3-years-equate/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/06/ford-cfo-says-most-of-line-up-to-be-refreshed-in-3-years-equate/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/06/ford-cfo-says-most-of-line-up-to-be-refreshed-in-3-years-equate/#commentsFiled under: ,

2010 Ford Fiesta - Click above for high-res image gallery

Ah, cars and donuts - two of our favorite subjects together at last. According to Lewis Booth, Ford's chief financial officer and the man now charged with giving us a serious case of the munchies:
We're going to have fresh products. I don't know - what's the world's best doughnut? (Ford's vehicles) are going to be the Krispy Kremes of the world.
Analogy aside, Booth's point is that Ford will refresh between 70 and 90 percent of its lineup by volume in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Africa by 2012. The Blue Oval's product renaissance is largely made possible by an increase in global platform sharing measures that are on track to save the automaker billions of dollars per year and cut engineering costs in half.

Oh, and for the record, we'll take our donuts from Dunkin' along with a steaming cup o' Joe.


Gallery: Ford Fiesta in NYC


[Source: Detroit News]

Ford CFO says most of line-up to be refreshed in 3 years, equates cars to donuts originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fordford platformford platformsFordPlatformFordPlatformslewis boothLewisBoothThu, 06 Aug 2009 17:31:00 EST<![CDATA[REPORT: Wall Street rallies around better-than-expected Ford results]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/24/report-wall-street-rallies-around-better-than-expected-ford-resu/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/24/report-wall-street-rallies-around-better-than-expected-ford-resu/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/24/report-wall-street-rallies-around-better-than-expected-ford-resu/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



On the surface, at least, news that a company lost $1.4 billion wouldn't normally be greeted as good news by Wall Street. However, the Ford Motor company's just-published quarterly earning reports have done just that, with the stock trading 15% ahead of yesterday and the entire Dow Jones stock market perking up at the news.

Why the positive reaction? The Blue Oval has fared markedly better than most analysts' estimates, and the size of the loss indicates that Ford is at least stemming its hemorrhaging. In further news that perked up trading, Lewis Booth, Ford's CFO reiterated that Ford expects to make it through the rest of the year without seeking any government monies, and the company notes that it expects to actually exceed the $4 billion cost-cutting goals it set for itself this year.

Of course, all is not rosy, although things are better than expected. For the first three months this year, Ford's sales dropped 43%, with accompanying revenue of $24.8 billion - a drop of almost 37 percent year-over-year versus 2008's $39.2 billion intake.

Perhaps the best news of all? Dearborn officials reinforced that the company is looking good to break even in 2011, noting that it could even post a profit before taxes. Thanks for the tips, everyone!

[Source: The Associated Press | Image: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty]

REPORT: Wall Street rallies around better-than-expected Ford results originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Blue OvalBlueOvalDearbornDow JonesDowJonesearnings reportEarningsReportFoMoCoFordFord MotorFordMotorLewis BoothLewisBoothStock tradingStockTradingWall StreetWallStreetFri, 24 Apr 2009 12:57:00 EST<![CDATA[Ford CFO Don Leclair retiring, Ford Europe's Booth will replace him]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/10/ford-cfo-don-leclair-retiring-ford-europes-booth-will-replace/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/10/ford-cfo-don-leclair-retiring-ford-europes-booth-will-replace/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/10/ford-cfo-don-leclair-retiring-ford-europes-booth-will-replace/#commentsFiled under:



Ford Chief Financial Officer Don Leclair has decided to hang up his spreadsheets after an illustrious career at the Blue Oval. Leclair worked at Ford for 32 years and has held the top financial post there since 2003. Succeeding Leclair will be Ford of Europe President Lewis Booth. Booth has helped lead Ford's positive transformation in Europe and grow Mazda's success around the world, which are probably Ford's two largest successes of the past decade. Excruciatingly tough times in North America await Booth upon his arrival Stateside, and team Ford needs some of that same magic he had in Europe to pull the 105-year-old automaker out of its current situation. Leclair and Booth will be working together over the next few weeks to ensure that no balls drop during the transfer of power.

We're sure Mr. Leclair would have loved to leave the Blue Oval during happier times, and we hope his retirement is a long and enjoyable one. If stocks are part of his exit package, though, it may be some time before he has a chance to relax.

[Source: Ford, Photo by William Thomas Cain/Getty]

Continue reading Ford CFO Don Leclair retiring, Ford Europe's Booth will replace him

Ford CFO Don Leclair retiring, Ford Europe's Booth will replace him originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>don leclairDonLeclairfordford CFOFordCfoLewis BoothLewisBoothFri, 10 Oct 2008 14:28:00 EST<![CDATA[Mulally's replacement could come from within Ford... or maybe not]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/24/mulallys-replacement-could-come-from-within-ford-or-maybe-no/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/24/mulallys-replacement-could-come-from-within-ford-or-maybe-no/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/24/mulallys-replacement-could-come-from-within-ford-or-maybe-no/#commentsFiled under: ,



Joe Laymon isn't on the short list of successors for Ford CEO Alan Mulally, and it's unlikely you've ever heard of him, but if you want to get to the top at the Blue Oval, this is the guy you stop by Starbucks for on the way to work. Laymon is in charge of keeping a list of internal candidates ready in the event Mulally retires (or quits, is fired or for some other reason exits his position), which could come as soon as 2011 when he turns 65.

Both President of the the Americas Mark Fields and new marketing chief Jim Farley are on the short list of six execs on which the company is keeping tabs, but some less familiar names are considered, as well. Europe boss Lewis Booth, CFO Don LeClair, Europe COO Stephen Odell, and manufacturing chief Joe Heinrich round out the list of internal CEO candidates that will be given to the Ford board in the event of a Mulally exit. The list isn't static, either, as names are reviewed and added or dropped each year. If the board doesn't like its choices, though, the list is completely worthless and the company will again look outside its hallowed halls for help, just like it did in Mulally's case.

[Source: Automotive News, subs. req'd]

Mulally's replacement could come from within Ford... or maybe not originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 Mar 2008 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Alan MulallyAlanMulallyBlue OvalBlueOvalDon LeClairDonLeclairFordJim FarleyJimFarleyJoe HeinrichJoeHeinrichLewis BoothLewisBoothMark FieldsMarkFieldsMon, 24 Mar 2008 11:01:00 EST<![CDATA[CONFIRMED: Ford Fiesta coming to America, hope for Mondeo]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/05/confirmed-ford-fiesta-coming-to-america-hope-for-mondeo/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/05/confirmed-ford-fiesta-coming-to-america-hope-for-mondeo/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/05/confirmed-ford-fiesta-coming-to-america-hope-for-mondeo/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Ford of Europe chairman Lewis Booth confirmed today that the next-generation Ford Fiesta for the European market will be brought to us folks in small car-starved North America. In truth, we're not actually starved for small cars in North America, we're just starved for good small cars like the Ford Fiesta and other European B-class models. The current model is well received in its native market, while the next generation model will be based off of the same platform used by the new Mazda2 that's being debuted publicly for the first time in Geneva tomorrow. The question remains whether Ford will substantially alter the design of the Euro model before it makes its transatlantic voyage, but considering how little money Ford has to spare, as well as how good the current designs are coming out of Ford Europe, we'd guess the models will be very similar.

Booth also commented that platform sharing between Ford's North American and European operations could extend all the way up to the Mondeo. For the first time we've gotten an indication of how that might work. Booth says that since the Fusion has just been launched, it likely won't be until the new sedan has gone through at least one full product cycle that the two cars can be merged. By that time, we'll either be getting the new Mondeo in the twilight of its own product cycle or an all-new Mondeo will debut on both continents.

[Source: The Detroit News]

CONFIRMED: Ford Fiesta coming to America, hope for Mondeo originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Mar 2007 17:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>b-carfiestaford europeFordEuropelewis boothLewisBoothMon, 05 Mar 2007 17:54:00 EST<![CDATA[Ford announces corporate realignment]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/12/14/ford-announces-corporate-realignment/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/12/14/ford-announces-corporate-realignment/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/12/14/ford-announces-corporate-realignment/#commentsFiled under: ,

Not long after we told you about the likely promotion of Derrick Kuzak to the role of global Car Czar, President and CEO of Ford Alan Mulally officially announced his corporate realignment plan. At the top of the pyramid is, of course, Mulally himself. Reporting to him are the leaders of Ford's three largest units: Mark Fields, Ford of the Americas; Lewis Booth, Ford of Europe and the Premier Auto Group (PAG); and John Parker, Ford of Asia Pacific, Africa and Mazda. Supporting this team will be the aforementioned Derrick Kuzak, whose office door now reads Global Product Development Leader (a.k.a. Car Czar). J Mays is still the leader of Ford's design teams and will support Kuzak.

The whole point of defining each executive's role in the company and creating clear hierarchies is so that Ford can begin acting like one company instead of five separate ones, each with their own interests. The biggest change here is that Fields, Booth and Parker will now all be reporting directly to Mulally. In the past, both Booth and Parker would report to Mark Schulz, the company's Executive VP of International Operations. Schulz, however, announced his retirement earlier this month, which gave management a perfect opportunity to cut out a middle man position and improve communication between various rungs of the corporate ladder.

Check out Ford's full press release on this realignment after the jump.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford announces corporate realignment

Ford announces corporate realignment originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Dec 2006 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alan mulallyAlanMulallycorporateDerrick KuzakDerrickKuzakexecutiveJ MaysJMaysJohn ParkerJohnParkerlewis boothLewisBoothmanagementmark fieldsMarkFieldsrealignmentThu, 14 Dec 2006 17:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Ford says Jag, Volvo and Land Rover aren't for sale]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/29/ford-says-jag-volvo-and-land-rover-arent-for-sale/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/29/ford-says-jag-volvo-and-land-rover-arent-for-sale/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/29/ford-says-jag-volvo-and-land-rover-arent-for-sale/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,




Although Ford has recently confirmed that Aston Martin is up for sale, they made a point of saying today that the rest of its premium brands, are not. Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo are not part of the fire sale at Ford just yet. With the new, almost-as-sexy-as-an-Aston XK coupes and convertibles starting to find their way into dealerships, Jaguar in particular is looking good for the time being, despite being one of the biggest financial thorns in Ford's side.

Ford's announcement was made to financial analysts by Lewis Booth, head of Ford of Europe and the Premier Automotive Group (PAG), which oversees the overseas Ford brands. Of course, this could all change in the next hour or two as executives are usually fluent in doublespeak. Although PAG is expected to post another loss in 2006, there are some signs of improvement heading into 2007, according to Ford. As we have had to report ad nauseum, Ford recently put the pedal to the metal in its cost-cutting plans, announcing drastic cuts (more than 40,000 jobs going away) and the closing of as many as 16 plants in North America to help get them back in the black by 2009.

[Source: Motor Trend]

Related posts:

Ford says Jag, Volvo and Land Rover aren't for sale originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Sep 2006 07:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Lewis BoothLewisBoothPAGPremier Automotive GroupPremierAutomotiveGroupFri, 29 Sep 2006 07:08:00 EST<![CDATA[Ford VP: No 'For Sale' sign hanging in Jaguar's window]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/02/28/ford-vp-no-for-sale-sign-hanging-in-jaguars-offices/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/02/28/ford-vp-no-for-sale-sign-hanging-in-jaguars-offices/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/02/28/ford-vp-no-for-sale-sign-hanging-in-jaguars-offices/#commentsFiled under:

Besides new concept and production car introductions, there's always plenty of news at major shows, and Geneva isn't turning out to be any differently.

Addressing a body of 250 motoring hacks, Ford of Europe VP Lewis Booth reiterated sharply that Jaguar is not on the block, indicating that the rumor mill on Dearborn's Big Cat stems largely from "a particular journalist."

Read more about Booth's PAG proclamations here.

[Source: JustAuto]

Ford VP: No 'For Sale' sign hanging in Jaguar's window originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Feb 2006 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>FordFord of EuropeFordOfEuropeJaguarLewis BoothLewisBoothPAGPremium Auto GroupPremiumAutoGroupTue, 28 Feb 2006 10:30:00 EST