Bill Ford Stepping Down as CEO

[MM2004]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14686147/

Now, let's see what happens.

Mike.

[fastblackmerc]

Just saw it on our local news.... very interesting...

[Bigdogjim]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!! Best thing that could happen to Ford.......great news.........

I give Mr.Ford a lot of credit for knowing when to step aside. Smart man!

[jimlam56]

Looks like they got a capable guy to replace him.

[TheDealer]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14686147/

[O's Fan Rich]

Looks like they got a capable guy to replace him.
Yeah, I'm going to hate the move to Michigan, but I got the calling!!















Oh... it wasn't me? All that interview time was a waste? Dang.... gotta update the resume.

[VNMUS]

But see who the new CEO is?

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060905/UPDATE/609050400

All new Fords should really fly now! :P

[RF Overlord]

Good riddance to him, and his useless cousin Elena as well...

Those two have done more damage to the company that bears their name than all the other management combined. Ol' Henry must be spinning in his grave... :shake:

[Vortex]

In the words of the Immortal Greaseman: "AMF!"

[Bigdogjim]

First thing the airplane guy is going to do is order production to start on the B-26A Marauder:rofl:

S/C from the factory....................... .

[JACook]

Good riddance Billy. PLEASE take Elena with you.

[bigslim]

We still don't have a car guy running it. This guy is nothing but a headcutter, beancounter. Great, more boring products. I am really ashamed to tell people where I work.

Now if we can just get Ford to sell the Lions...............:rolleyes:

[chrish]

they will have to sell the lions to pay this new guy.Ford is lost in the fog.Note short sell it ALL

[marauder307]

Great...so they get a guy from another troubled American manufacturer to come in and run this place?

Anybody ever heard the expression "out of the frying pan and into the fire"?:shake:

[RCSignals]

Good riddance to him, and his useless cousin Elena as well...

Those two have done more damage to the company that bears their name than all the other management combined. Ol' Henry must be spinning in his grave... :shake:


Naw, they still have a way to go to top Nasser.

[RCSignals]

We still don't have a car guy running it. This guy is nothing but a headcutter, beancounter. Great, more boring products. I am really ashamed to tell people where I work.

Now if we can just get Ford to sell the Lions...............:rolleyes:

I think you may be right. Not so sure about this guy from Boeing

[Bigdogjim]

Great...so they get a guy from another troubled American manufacturer to come in and run this place?

Anybody ever heard the expression "out of the frying pan and into the fire"?:shake:

Boeing turn around put them well ahead of rival Airbus till 2010? The 787 Dreamliner is now the best selling jet in the world!

Ford needs some to walk in, look around and kick a few butts!

Does not need to a "car guy" to make this happen, Ford does have the talent around, just need the guy to push the buttons.

If he did it at Boeing then Ford should not be a problem.

Remember your looking at the track record of the guy. Can he make thing mesh?

[Bigdogjim]

Naw, they still have a way to go to top Nasser.

100% with you on this one Nasser was #1. (problem)

[Blue03]

We still don't have a car guy running it. This guy is nothing but a headcutter, beancounter. Great, more boring products. I am really ashamed to tell people where I work.

Now if we can just get Ford to sell the Lions...............:rolleyes:

Mulally may be a good thing for Ford. He is a class guy. He is an Engineer and not a bean counter. Obviously he will need to understand "the Beans" to run a business and has. He was the Program Skipper of the very challenging and successful 777 program. The 787 program was under his watch and will be one the finest in the sky.
The biggest thing is the marketing guys and program managers at Boeing listen and respond to what their clients and users want. They target their products to that end and to make money. Coming off the horrific challenges for the airline industry from 911, look at Boeings products and stock post 911 and then look at AirBus. Who has made the right decisions?
You're right he's not a car guy and the internal polictics may scuttle the move. But from what I've seen of him over the last 10+ years he's energetic, enthusiastic and just may have a thing or two to contribute to Ford. BTW I am a Boeing fan but never worked for them. Time will tell if its gonna work but if I was at Ford, I'd consider it a bold and good move.:twocents:

[MENINBLK]

... Ol' Henry must be spinning in his grave... :shake:

Or would he be doin' cart wheels ???

[2003 MIB]

In the words of the Immortal Greaseman: "AMF!"
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[jerrym3]

Unfortunately for Ford, they did listen to the majority of their consumers.

They put too much time and effort into the cash cow SUVs, and forgot that they also sold cars. How long did they think they could keep riding the basic Panther platform? (Chrysler has announced a slightly stretched 300 for the limo industry, and the new Lexus will parellel park itself!!)

Now, it has come back to bite them.

Consider what a small percentage of the car buying public even cares about SVT and gear ratios, etc.

Ford needs to persuade the consumer that their cars are exciting (not necessarily hot rods) and that their quality is equal to, or better than, the rest of the automobile mfgs.

The problem is that too many of today's younger folks and future car buyers aren't going to give them a chance.

[quota]

My comments :
- did Boeing really made it against Airbus !? From what I heard, Boeing just kept on loosing ground
- he is not a car guy. Should be a car guy. C. Ghosn is also a bean counter but after some experience with Nissan-Renault, he understand cars better
- hope it is not too late for re-engineering the mess left by the previous one

Sincerely, though, GOOD LUCK !

[jerrym3]

Maybe down deep he is a car guy.

I work for a financial services firm, but I consider myself a car guy.

[gpfarrell]

Boeing is crushing Airbus now.

Airbus pushed on with plans to make a huge plane while Boeing said we just don't see the business case for it. Airbus needs more Euro-tax money now to stay afloat while Boeing is, ahh, soaring.

I hate to say it, but I think Ford would be fortunate if younger buyers don't consider them right now. Ford doesn't offer much to make a strong impression, so why introduce yourself to younger people until you have something to introduce?

Yeah, the Mustang is great. Hooray. I can buy a great Marauder replacement... provided I go to a Dodge, Chrysler, Chevy, or Pontiac dealership. The 500/Freestyle have never been better than lukewarm. I really wanted to like them, but life is too short for boring cars. People that want boring cars buy minivans... but Ford isn't competive there either. Then, in the subcompact market we have the Focus which is only a generation behind the Euro version. Let's hope the Fusion is a smash hit or they might as well shutter the showrooms.

Trucks? Yeah, got trucks but how long will the heritage of a blue oval hold off the competitions' innovations?

[quota]

Boeing is crushing Airbus now.

Airbus pushed on with plans to make a huge plane while Boeing said we just don't see the business case for it. Airbus needs more Euro-tax money now to stay afloat while Boeing is, ahh, soaring.

I hate to say it, but I think Ford would be fortunate if younger buyers don't consider them right now. Ford doesn't offer much to make a strong impression, so why introduce yourself to younger people until you have something to introduce?

Yeah, the Mustang is great. Hooray. I can buy a great Marauder replacement... provided I go to a Dodge, Chrysler, Chevy, or Pontiac dealership. The 500/Freestyle have never been better than lukewarm. I really wanted to like them, but life is too short for boring cars. People that want boring cars buy minivans... but Ford isn't competive there either. Then, in the subcompact market we have the Focus which is only a generation behind the Euro version. Let's hope the Fusion is a smash hit or they might as well shutter the showrooms.

Trucks? Yeah, got trucks but how long will the heritage of a blue oval hold off the competitions' innovations?


The first drama is that the younger buyers of today make the older buyer of tomorrow. For lots of reasons, many people stay with the brand they bought first. Second drama - life is too short for boring cars - I quote you...
So besides the Mustang (but keep a close watch on the coming Camaro and Challenger), the Fusion (which dramatically needs a sport, tuned-up SVT model in its range) and superb trucks, I do not see a lot of attractive things in the FORD show rooms...

Hope is the last to die (Russian saying) so let's still hope.

[Mikeenh]

This is my way of dealing with Ford for the way they treated me on my Marauder transmission repair. I got Zip !
This is my second Trailblazer in a 1 year period.

I just got the SS version 2 weeks ago. 395 horse Corvette engine, AWD and every option they had.
Both of these would have been Fords if I was treated fair on my Marauder. There will be NO new Fords for me, and when my wife is ready to trade her Lincoln, it won't be a Ford either. The last Chevy I bought before this was in 1989. My neighbor was impressed enough with my Trailblazer that he traded his Ford van in for a trailblazer.
The Ford regional manager won the battle, but he lost the war.

The Marauder just sits in the garage. Put 50 miles on it this year.

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=99 13&stc=1&d=1157659490


http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=99 14&stc=1&d=1157659490

[TAF]

:confused: What vehicle (with the "Fusion-grill treatment") is Mr. New CEO Alan Mulally leaning on :confused:

http://www.blueovalnews.com/images/mullay.ford.jpg



EDIT: I think I found it

• The first 2007 Ford Edge 1PP prototype rolling off the Oakville, Canada line.

http://www.warnerrobert.com/temp.edgefull.jpg

[MikesMerc]

Mulally may be a good thing for Ford. He is a class guy. He is an Engineer and not a bean counter. Obviously he will need to understand "the Beans" to run a business and has. He was the Program Skipper of the very challenging and successful 777 program. The 787 program was under his watch and will be one the finest in the sky.
The biggest thing is the marketing guys and program managers at Boeing listen and respond to what their clients and users want. They target their products to that end and to make money. Coming off the horrific challenges for the airline industry from 911, look at Boeings products and stock post 911 and then look at AirBus. Who has made the right decisions?
You're right he's not a car guy and the internal polictics may scuttle the move. But from what I've seen of him over the last 10+ years he's energetic, enthusiastic and just may have a thing or two to contribute to Ford. BTW I am a Boeing fan but never worked for them. Time will tell if its gonna work but if I was at Ford, I'd consider it a bold and good move.:twocents:


Excellent analysis! I concur completely.

The LAST thing Ford needs now is a "car guy." What they need desperately is someone who can team build, harness the talent on hand, and get relevant products that consumers want designed and out the door efficiently. THAT is the job of a CEO. This is EXACTLY what Mulally did at Boeing.

I know Darryl might be mad at me for saying this, but Mulally will likely do what needs to be done...and that's downsizing the company in a BIG way to be appropriate for its market share. Too many factories, too many people, too much family politics, and a terrible product mix are killing Ford.

When Mulally was given the reigns at Boeing, they had an overly complicated product line that was not meeting customer needs and wants and they were missing deadlines which cost them billions. He scrapped bull**** products, cut costs, generated effective team building, and delivered relevant products to the customers with efficient production.

Like Blue03 said....there is already enough car guy talent at Ford. There just hasn't been anyone to pull everyone together and be willing to make bold enough moves. Mulally could fail....but if it happens it'll be from sabotage within....not from inherent lack of talent or not being a car guy.

My final comment will be a prediction. There will be pain. ALOT of it. I see many jobs going away and many factories closing. Some may see it as Mulally being an axe man, but, in reality, its more like a business doing what it has to to survive. You cannot "carry" a manufacturing footprint for 20% market share when you only have 12%. Trying to "carry" the capacity in hopes you will regain share is a bad move that Ford has suffered with. Ford can make a lot of money and employ a lot of people with only 10%.

[JACook]

The Ford regional manager won the battle, but he lost the war.
Yep, same here, sad to say. If Ford's warranty service isn't the worst in the industry, it's close.
There is no '05-up Mustang in my stable because of it. God knows I wanted one.

Ford needs to learn that the way to control warranty costs is to build 'em right to start with, not
screw over the dealers so they avoid doing the repairs. When something goes wrong, warranty service
is your last hope to get that customer to ever come back. Ford has shown repeatedly that they don't
give a rats arse. So, Ford, right back atcha . :razz:

Can't say GM is any better, but they're probably no worse.