J is a soft-spoken man, which belied his enormous ambition and talent, who assiduously courted the Ford Family and the media.
Ford Motor Company today announced a series of changes in its senior leadership team that could have an important impact on its future direction. Absent from the list was the most important pending change where Alan Mulally will leave, and reportedly be replaced by pretty boy and corporate jet and expensive perks lover Mark Fields.
The biggest change today concerns J Mays, group vice president and chief creative officer, Design, who is retiring after more than 33 years in the automotive industry. In parallel, Moray Callum is elected a Ford Motor Company officer and named vice president, Design.
Throughout his 16-year career at Ford, Mays led development of the global Ford design language evident in some of the vehicles the company produces around the world. Mays led the teams that developed the design for the Ford Fusion, Focus, Fiesta, GT40, Taurus, Thunderbird, Mustang and F-150. He also was responsible for several concept vehicles, including the Ford Atlas, Evos, 427, Forty-Nine, Shelby GR-1, Lincoln MKZ and MKC.
J is a soft-spoken man, which belied his enormous ambition and talent, who assiduously courted the Ford Family and the media. Mays joined Ford in 1997 as vice president, Design after serving at Volkswagen where he developed the new Beetle. He called the head of VW, Ferdinand Piech, “just plain mean,” a sentiment widely shared in the auto industry. Mays was named group vice president in 2003 and one year later took on the expanded role of chief creative officer.
Succeeding Mays is Moray Callum, currently executive director, Design, The Americas. He will report to Raj Nair, group vice president, Global Product Development. Callum will lead the design of all concept and production vehicles for the Ford globally and the regional, and ailing, Lincoln brand. Since 2006, Callum has had overall responsibility for the design of all cars and trucks designed in Ford’s North and South America studios and the new Lincoln products. Prior to that, Callum led Mazda’s design transformation from 2001 to 2006, based in Japan.
Moray is an outspoken, outgoing type and not known in this writer’s experienced for kissing executive butts.
Jim Tetreault, vice president, North America Manufacturing, has elected to retire after more than 36 years in the automotive industry and 25 years with Ford. Succeeding Tetreault will be Bruce Hettle, who is elected a Ford Motor Company officer and named vice president, North America Manufacturing.
For the past five years, Tetreault has been responsible for Ford’s North America manufacturing footprint its largest in the world, with more than 30 manufacturing plants. Prior to this, Tetreault served as vice president, Ford of Europe Manufacturing, for three years and held numerous positions in plant operations and staff functions throughout his career.
Hettle, currently executive director, Global Vehicle Operations Manufacturing Engineering, will be responsible for all North America manufacturing facilities. In his new role, Hettle will put a strong focus on the company’s goal of increasing manufacturing flexibility, efficiency, quality and productivity. Hettle has spent his entire 27-year career in manufacturing with Ford, and has led the company’s global manufacturing engineering organization for vehicle operations since 2008. In addition to other roles, he has served as director, Manufacturing Business Office, plant manager for Wayne Stamping and Assembly and Edison Assembly. He will report to Hinrichs and to John Fleming, executive vice president, Global Manufacturing and Labor Affairs.
Marty Mulloy, vice president, Labor Affairs, who has been with the company for more than 34 years, also is retiring. He will be succeeded by Bill Dirksen, who is elected a Ford Motor Company officer and named vice president, Labor Affairs.
Mulloy was appointed to his current position in 2005. He has been responsible for global labor policy and negotiations covering Ford’s 117,000 hourly employees. He led the company’s 2007, 2009 and 2011 contract negotiations with the United Auto Workers. His career includes a variety of positions in Human Resources and Labor Affairs, including serving as the company’s most senior HR leader in The Americas, Australia and Manufacturing.
In his new role, Dirksen, who has been executive director, U.S. Labor Affairs, since 2007, will be responsible for labor negotiations and labor policy globally for the company’s union employees. He joined Ford Motor Company in 1985, and has served as the senior HR leader in Ford Credit, Manufacturing and Quality, and Australia prior to moving to the U.S. Labor Affairs position seven years ago. Together with Mulloy, Dirksen played a key role in leading the company’s 2007, 2009 and 2011 UAW negotiations. Dirksen will report to Fleming and to Felicia Fields, group vice president, Human Resources and Corporate Services.
Ford also is announcing the election of Steven Armstrong as a company officer and president, Ford South America, reporting to Hinrichs.
For the past 18 months, Armstrong has been president, Ford of Brazil, leading all aspects of the company’s largest business unit in South America. Prior to this, Armstrong served as chief operating officer, Volvo Cars. Throughout his more than 25-year career, Armstrong has held a variety of senior management and purchasing positions with Jaguar, Ford of Europe and Volvo.
All Ford Motor retirements and appointments are effective 1 January 2014.
