Send to a friendThe Stig March 24th, 2008 8:26 AM Link
Who’s to say Ford as a company will be around long enough to get a new CEO?
Ford Lists Six Possible Mulally Successors for CEO
Written By: Seyth Miersma
Though Alan Mulally is still the king of the castle when it comes to all things Blue Oval, Ford Motor Company has developed a short list of potential replacements for the CEO.
While Ford expects that the 63-year-old Mulally will be around to lead them into the early part of the next decade, the company is said to maintain an updated internal list of CEO candidates for when the occasion of succession does arise. Ford personnel chief Joe Laymon, the self-styled “owner” of Ford’s succession planning process, has said that the list of candidates numbers six.
(Click through the jump to read on.)
The current list includes executives Mark Fields, Joe Hinrichs, Stephen Odell, Don Leclair, Lewis Booth, and Jim Farley. That group covers a 20-year range in age, and a vast difference in experience within the company, giving the board of directors a wide field from which to choose. Farley, the company’s marketing chief recently hired away from a career at Toyota, would seem a particularly interesting choice for the preemptive list because of his relative inexperience working for Ford.
While the automaker has made it clear that it would like to find its next CEO from within its own ranks, Mulally is a shining example (he came to Ford from Boeing in 2006) that the company’s board could look to outside candidates as well.
Mulally currently has a contract that runs through 2011, with a provision for a one-year extension. For his part the CEO has been asked to help develop a group of candidates he sees as having the potential to do his job, with an eye to promoting an undisputed number-two, six to twelve months before he steps down.
+ Automotive News: Ford lists 6 to succeed Mulally
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10 Comments
Ducati Minor March 24th, 2008 2:09 PM Link
Ford Motor has taken a lot of hits even under Alan Mulally’s short time as chief. Mulally seems to have made it his priority to spread the message of dependability and safety, two areas that have haunted Ford since the 1970s. He seems to have brought a slower and reduced form of the “Lutz Effect” to Dearborn. Ford is cutting back truck production, updating the Mustang, selling off unneeded properties, and rolling out new rear-drive cars for the future. Perhaps any half-brained exec would do the same; but Ford’s past ones haven’t.
X3 SoB March 24th, 2008 3:41 PM Link
Ford’s “Way Forward” has taken many side trips, culminating in the lousy Focus redesign. Ford for too long has suffered from lousy focus, so this was rather symbolic. No matter who the CEO is, it is going to take a while and a string of hits(Escort, Interceptor, etc.) to make Ford profitable again. But the MKS shows that Ford is still not there yet.
Gary March 24th, 2008 5:01 PM Link
Ford is like Washington, they think they can take their internal people (who are no doubt, part of the problem), have them switch chairs in the boardroom, and that will solve all their problems. Look Ford, you need to hire from the outside like you did with Mullay and give them a reason to stay. The people already on the inside are there because nobody else wants them. I don’t see anybody begging for Mark Fields to come work for them.
hwyhobo March 24th, 2008 5:02 PM Link
It’s not just the MKS. I think the entire new Lincoln product line (except for the old and faithful TC) and their lukewarm reception by the public (to be polite) shows that Ford’s market research and recognition is still blind. Without solid market research even the best engineering is money thrown down the pit.
hwyhobo March 24th, 2008 5:08 PM Link
BTW, has Jim Farley, who has taken over marketing after coming over from Lexus, shown something interesting yet, or is it way too early to tell?
Cicero March 24th, 2008 5:59 PM Link
Mulally has not done a bad job, the company is about to return to profitability and I am sure that who ever replaces him will continue to try and merge Ford’s European small cars with America’s
Winding Road » Archive » Question of the Day: What Would You do as Ford CEO? March 24th, 2008 6:01 PM Link
[…] may still be a few years until he bows out (we’re told 2011 or so), but Ford has let the public know that it’s already considering […]
Paul- L.A. March 25th, 2008 1:32 AM Link
Go back to the drawing board & look up Ford’s genealogy history
and stop embarrassing all the american people with your 0 down no interest low quality, RENTAL A CAR line ups. Go sent Ford’s employee’s to Japan at Mazda’s headquarters for a lunch meeting. They might learn something.
HAVE YOU DRIVEN A FORD LATELY?
Winding Road » Archive » Ford Execs Earned Big Money in 2007, $21.7 Million for Mulally April 5th, 2008 10:01 AM Link
[…] Motor Company CEO Alan Mulally earned a total of $21.7 million dollars in 2007, including a base salary of $2 million, and $7 […]
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