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Laymon had a history of speaking out of turn, apparently to demonstrate his corporate clout. In an interview with Fortune in 2004, he volunteered the information that all the top executives at Ford worked with executive coaches and that he was the coach for chairman and CEO Bill Ford. Laymon's off-the-cuff comment produced some scrambling at headquarters, including demurrals from Ford executives who said they didn't know what an executive coach actually was, and they certainly didn't have one.
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Four years on, the guy is still filling the same position. If you want to know why I believe Ford isn't really changing for the better, read the previous sentence again. And if you want to know why I believe Mullaly isn't really doing what is needed to straighten Ford's paths, reads the previous sentence again.
Let's see - the corporation lost focus by growing a board of 40-something Vice-Presidents and the like, over half of them actually responsible for the North American market, which isn't really a growth one nor does it represent more than half of Ford's sales, revenue or profits. All of them are mostly involved in corporate politics and infighting, and many seem not to really know what cars does the company make. Decision-making is hampered by the permament angst of angering the Ford family. North American operations are ridden by labour-related costs induced by unions convinced they are irreplaceable and fixed in place. The marvellous head designer and a team of engineers came up with a large car that is so forgettable nobody wants it, even if it is the most capable car in the market, effectively pushing Ford off the edge of one of the last markets they still had something to say in. Ford is making some of the world's best superminis in all shapes and sizes, some right by the border of the USA, but cannot bring any of them there amidst a booming market.
Answer: sell Jaguar.
Hello?