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PAG Prez, Mark Fields, to head Ford NA

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#1 · (Edited)
Source: www.thecarconnection.com 's daily edition-

Daily Edition: Sep. 9, 2005-

Ford Shuffles Execs; Fields to Americas


Ford Motor Co. is bringing Mark Fields home, the 44-year-old executive will report to Ford World Headquarters, effective October 1st, as the new president of the automaker's Americas business unit. Fields had been living in London, where he served double duty as executive vice president of both Ford of Europe and the Premier Automotive Group.

The overseas assignment provided training under fire for Fields, who joined Ford in 1989. Both Ford of Europe and the PAG were in the midst of a major restructuring, including plant and personnel cuts. With recovery slow, Fields had to dig deeper, especially at PAG, among other things ordering the closure of one of Jaguar's three assembly plants. With the turnaround program, in his words, "starting to gain traction," the Harvard Business School graduate described the planned reassignment to Michigan as "bittersweet."

It is likely also to prove quite challenging. In Dearborn, Fields will run the automaker's largest - and arguably most troubled - business unit. With the Americas operations falling well short of the forecasts made during a previous restructuring, company officials have acknowledged more deep cuts are under discussion. Asked what he might need to do to turn things around, Fields responded with caution. "It's still way too early for me to make any comments," he said, noting it will be some weeks before his return Stateside. But Fields quickly added that "If you look at my track record, I tend to go into some pretty challenging situations."

Prior to his European assignment, The New Jersey-bred executive had served as president and CEO of another troubled Ford brand, it's Japanese affiliate, Mazda Motor Co. Fields has been credited with many of the changes that have put the Hiroshima-based automaker on the road to recovery.

Even before Mazda, Fields had worked with Ford's core, U.S. brands, something he said will help in the new job. "The advantage I've had has been to work in every Ford brand, which has given me knowledge of their people, products and processes, and which will help me get up to speed" quickly.

In his new position, Fields will succeed Greg Smith, who becomes Ford Motor Co Vice Chairman. Lewis Booth, who has been serving as chairman and CEO of Ford of Europe, now assumes Fields' duties at the PAG. John Fleming, who was president of Ford of Europe, adds CEO to his title. Meanwhile, Mark Schultz has been appointed president of International Operations, and Hans-Olov Olsson, currently president of Volvo Cars, becomes Ford's new chief marketing officer. Olsson will maintain ties to Volvo as the Swedish company's non-executive chairman.-Paul A. Eisenstein
 
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#2 ·
This guy Mark Fields is pretty sharp. He did a good job over at Mazda before moving over at PAG. I wish he could have finished the job there, though. News was he was really trying to consolidate some of their operations through cooperation -- like using Volvo's I6 for a standard engine in Jags, the new C1+ platform for the next S60, Freelander and a possible Jag "crossover" -- just like Jag's V8 are now used in Land Rovers and the new Aston V8 Vantage.

I wish him luck. He's a fellow Jersey boy and Rutgers grad too; Go RU! ;-) ha ha ha ha.
 
#3 ·
nadepalma said:
This guy Mark Fields is pretty sharp. He did a good job over at Mazda before moving over at PAG. I wish he could have finished the job there, though. News was he was really trying to consolidate some of their operations through cooperation -- like using Volvo's I6 for a standard engine in Jags, the new C1+ platform for the next S60, Freelander and a possible Jag "crossover" -- just like Jag's V8 are now used in Land Rovers and the new Aston V8 Vantage.

I wish him luck. He's a fellow Jersey boy and Rutgers grad too; Go RU! ;-) ha ha ha ha.
He really helped turn mazda around into a kick ass company. Just look at the vehicles,makers of top cars in all thier classes. mazda3,mazda6,miata,mpv,mazda5,etc... Great vehicles and he really helped out PAG for sure, thier startin to get on a roll again :D
 
#4 ·
kool_zx3 said:
He really helped turn mazda around into a kick ass company. Just look at the vehicles,makers of top cars in all thier classes. mazda3,mazda6,miata,mpv,mazda5,etc... Great vehicles and he really helped out PAG for sure, thier startin to get on a roll again :D
Let's just hope he can do the same for Ford NA. You're absolutely right about Mazda and PAG -- but they were much smaller bureaucracies compared to Ford NA. Plus, you have to deal with the UAW/Suppliers/Etc in a different way than he did in Japan and the UK.

But if he can pull this off, and do it on a budget, I'd suspect that Mark Fields might end up being the head-honcho over at Ford in 10 or 15 years.
 
#6 ·
What really makes Mark Fields great is that he has a very good understanding of what major componentry (and how much) can be shared between brands without any brand losing it's identity or looking like a second rate spinoff. That is a rare talent in today's automotive world.
 
#8 ·
ehaase said:
A Ford employee is very pessimistic about the company's prospects over the next 5 years - http://www.blueovalforums.com/index.php?showtopic=20310&st=20&p=238762&#entry238762
I didn't read the quote since I no longer visit blueovalnews, so I am probably blasting my head off in error anyway, but I can understand where this "employee" is coming from.

At one time, just a year or so ago, I was very high on Ford's future. I saw the concept cars Ford put out in the 2003 and 2004 Detroit Auto Shows and I thought Ford was going places. I really did. I thought getting Bill Ford as CEO was a great move designed to get this old world company moving in the right direction again. I enjoy my Mach 1, which was my first Ford, and I very much enjoyed the experience of my Ford dealer. I couldn't be happier in that regard, but something happened a while ago that turned me from excitement and full of hope to a more pessimistic nature on Ford. I hate to say it, but I think it was the introduction of the production Lincoln Zephyr that started me down this road. Following the amazing F-150 and Mustang, I figured Ford was aiming sky high. If the Fords were this good, the premium cars, the Lincoln brand, would be amazing or so I thought. That didn't happen. When I saw the production Zephyr, I knew the Mustang and F-150 were flukes. The other cars in Ford's stable are nice (i.e. the Five Hundred and Freestyle, etc..) but they really don't blow the competition away like they need to. The Zephyr was a let down for me and demonstrated to me that Ford wasn't really that serious outside of the god-like Mustang and F-150. Nobody dare mess those up, but when it comes to the other cars and brands, half-assed is ok. Lincoln and Mercury have been sacrificed for other nameplates and I just can't find that acceptable. I've seen the same done to another car company which I used to hold dear.

But when I analyze the Japanese car companies and when I talk to people that drive "imports" I see that Ford is just barely hanging on. Companies like Toyota and Honda don't screw around and it shows with their product lineup and financial reports. Sometimes I do have hope that maybe Ford has turned it around, see the Fusion, but for every positive thing, I see several negative things that turn me off of Ford. I don't see the same kind of screwing around, or loss of market share, or large recall (almost 1 big one a year), or continued management shuffling, or brand management nonsense that I see with Ford in the Japanese competition. The Mustang and F-150 demonstrated to me that Ford has a lot of talented people and great ideas, but if the inspiration baked into them is not used on EVERY SINGLE Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury from here on out, Ford Motor Company will not be able to compete against the most powerful car company in the world, Toyota. If nobody here has noticed, Toyota is about ready to retire its current models and replace them with new ones. If history is any indicator, these replacements will be far superior to the cars they just replaced. Ford (and Detroit as well) are just NOW getting to Toyota's current models. I have no doubt that Toyota can rise to a whole new level. If that does happen, will Ford be able to hang on? In that sense, I can see where any Ford executive, employee, stockholder would be worried and why some still are pessimistic about its future. I know it is in Ford to kick their efforts up several notches, I just think somebody at the top is afraid to go that far. If they don't start pushing harder and faster, the Japanese will clean their clock because I have this feeling they are pretty close to busting the game wide open.

I think Mark Fields can do good things, but I think the entire Ford organization is the problem. In essence, he will be beating his head against a brick wall. It was the same way with the departed Chrysler Corporation. In the 90s they had the "dream" team with Lutz, Tom Gale, Stalkamp, and many others, but at the end of the day, the organization and top management held the company from really achieving greatness. I see the same thing happening with Ford.
 
#9 ·
I only partly agree. I actually htink htat we are about to see a decline in the japanese invasion. I htink as toyota becomes a true giant, diseconomies of scale is gonna hurt it. It iwll start getting too large to do accurate and careful quality control, and even now the latest models have been having osme issues and Ive seen more Toyota recalls recently htan I can ever remember. I htink they can only hold on to steady growth for so long before it levels out and starts plumetting again as competition grows more competent. I also htink if htey dont figure out how to style a car soon people are gonna get tired of their ****************ty designs. knowing toyota, that robably doesnt mean anything, but look out when other companies start producing jawdroppers.
 
#10 ·
Innotech said:
I only partly agree. I actually htink htat we are about to see a decline in the japanese invasion. I htink as toyota becomes a true giant, diseconomies of scale is gonna hurt it. It iwll start getting too large to do accurate and careful quality control, and even now the latest models have been having osme issues and Ive seen more Toyota recalls recently htan I can ever remember. I htink they can only hold on to steady growth for so long before it levels out and starts plumetting again as competition grows more competent. I also htink if htey dont figure out how to style a car soon people are gonna get tired of their ****************ty designs. knowing toyota, that robably doesnt mean anything, but look out when other companies start producing jawdroppers.
I understand what you are saying and it has to be a concern for Toyota. Toyota has to make sure it doesn't grow too fast and push quality for volume. I think they are learning a little too much from the American competition. The "slide" in quality, although minor, is one Toyota had better get taken care of right away. Having said that, I don't doubt they will address it. I would think they not only see a rebuilt Detroit as major competition, but a hard charging Hyundai as well. Don't forget the potential for Chinese companies way into the future. I think Toyota sees this potential onslaught coming and I think it is doing something about it.

As for my comments about Toyota/Honda/Nissan jumping to the next level, all one has to do is look at the new stuff coming out. Honda's Civic may not be the prettiest thing in the world (although I find the Si model to be great looking), it is certainly one of the more daring things to come out of Honda for some time. We may hate the interior, but I have a feeling people are going to look at it as being daring and forward thinking - something I don't think many people would have mentioned about a Honda a year or two ago. So, with a lot of effort, Honda has introduced a rejuvenated Civic that has been getting rave reviews from the media. They pretty much have proclaimed it as taking over the throne of the small car segment again.

Toyota's upcoming FJ Cruiser is something totally out of the Toyota character. For a boring, bland company, the FJ Cruiser is like a breath of fresh air out of Toyota. It shows that Toyota, when it wants to, can do something interesting and fill a niche market just like anybody else.

The new Avalon is a car I never saw coming from Toyota. I never in a million years expected to see a full size Toyota sedan with a 280 hp V-6 and Lexus-like equipment. This is the car, to me, that demonstrates Toyota's ability to take it to another level. The old Avalon was lost in the market and never really sold that well. This new Avalon came into the full size market and has done very well for itself. If I had the need for a family sedan, this would be my top choice, followed by the Ford Five Hundred. People seem to agree because its sales numbers so far are certainly better than the model it replaced.

The upcoming Lexus IS is another car that demonstrates that Toyota is taking its approach to styling, performance, ultimate luxury, and quality to the next level. This car has created quite a buzz and I think has BMW and Mercedes a little nervous. For once, Lexus has a sharper, more focused design theme that gives the car an even tighter look. The interiors have also gotten better as well - which is hard to believe for Lexus. There is nothing coming out of Dearborn that is in this league. One could look at Volvo and Jaguar and say the same thing as well. There is nothing like this car in the Ford Motor family. I'm very interested in a future IS coupe, and if possible, it will become my daily ride in the future. Ford will have just lost a customer because it isn't making anything like it. I'm sure I am not the only one out there that asks: Why can I get a nice, sporty, luxury car from Lexus, but not from Dearborn?

Then we have the upcoming Camry. From the spy photos the next Camry looks to offer dramatic styling for a Camry. It will still be family friendly and approachable, but it will have just enough spice to make it interesting and fresh. Plus, I can imagine Toyota putting a 250 hp 3.5 V-6 in the car. If so, the 3.5 can't come soon enough for the Fusion.

And look at the truck side of things. The Tacoma is the king of the compact truck segment (in terms of sales) while the Ranger keeps sliding and sliding. I know that if I was a consumer for compact trucks, I would not even be interested in a decade old truck compared to a newer fresher model from Toyota. I think the market is making that perfectly clear. Toyota did the Tacoma right and is getting benefits from it.

The upcoming Tundra has the POTENTIAL to be a world class truck. I don't know much about the new Tundra, but if Toyota puts in 110% into this new truck, Detroit better be worried. Right now, Japanese large trucks are still questionable, but the same was said about Japanese luxury cars back in the 80s. The point is that the sky is the limit for Toyota because this is a segment Toyota has never been that serious in. Will they flop or will they succeed? We don't know yet with the Tundra.

And then, we all know about Nissan and Infiniti and how hot styling and engineering have gotten them back in the hunt in a very big way. I'm sure Honda and Toyota see what Nissan is doing and I think they want to do the same thing as well.

On top of all this, Toyota and Honda still have the quality image. Even though Toyota may have "slipped", the brand is no where being rated an average or below average quality brand - like Chevy and Ford. The day Toyota slips into the region of those two or worse yet Pontiac is the day Toyota has gone down hill. The public perception is that Toyota is a top 10 quality brand. It consistantly remains near the top of the quality surveys. To make matters worse, Toyota's premium brand, Lexus, continues to hold the quality title year after year. Consistancy builds loyalty and trust, and no doubt Toyota and Lexus have enjoyed the benefits of that trust.

Don't forget the public's fear of rising gas prices over the rest of this decade. That fear plays right into the hands of the Japanese as they have not been saddled down with large SUVs and still have a "green" image. They have the large SUVs, but they wisely keep them out of sight. The hybrid is their spokes-model. A brilliant move in my opinion because the Japanese could see that gas prices were never going to stay low forever. They prepared for that day and it looks like they prepared at the right time. Detroit is, again, playing catch-up, and I think the American public is tired of Detroit dragging its feet.

So, even though Toyota's continued growth could be a problem, I'm not sure the styling angle is a valid argument anymore. You and I may agree that some of the stuff coming from Japan is bizzare, but I have this strange feeling the general public is going to eat them up. And really, I'm starting to like the styling on some models coming out of Japan, whereas, I am starting to really hate some of the models coming out of Detroit.

Will Toyota's growth stretch the company too far and cause quality to go down hill? It could. I'm sure Detroit is praying for that moment, but then again, I'm sure the analysts in Detroit thought Toyota would fall apart when it started building cars away from its homeland back in the 1980s. I don't recall Toyota falling apart; rather, it has gotten stronger. Some how, some way, Toyota/Honda will find a way to get around any problems they face. They always have before.
 
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