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Alan Mulally Retirement Plans - Good or Bad for Ford? - READ ONLY

101 messages,  Last post on Nov 02, 2012 at 9:41 AM

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What is this discussion about? Ford, Automotive News

    

Messages Page 11 of 11

#97 of 101 Re: Two more years? [steve_] by steve_ HOST

Nov 01, 2012 (7:50 am)

Replying to: steve_ (Nov 01, 2012 6:42 am)
The Detroit News has "fixed" their article to conform with Ford's press release, which says that Mulally will stay on as president and CEO "through at least 2014".
 
Mark Fields becomes COO and the obvious successor. The WSJ reports that "Ford officials stopped short of specifically naming Fields the next CEO, but both Mulally and Ford said they're rather see an internal candidate take over the top job than to hire someone from outside the company.
 
That was not the opinion in 2007 when Ford hired Mulally away from Boeing, a decision that at the time, many said was a risk because he was not an automotive expert."

#98 of 101 Re: Two more years? [steve_] by berri

Nov 01, 2012 (5:11 pm)

Replying to: steve_ (Nov 01, 2012 7:50 am)
The Fields choice is kind of interesting and there may be some differences of opinion because while he has been a key player under the Mulallay turnaround, he was also a key player during the disastrous previous management leadership. Also, as North American chief, he is sitting at the top while the quality is bombing. Probably just depends on whether he keeps himself in with the Ford family.

#99 of 101 Re: Two more years? [berri] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Nov 02, 2012 (8:34 am)

Replying to: berri (Nov 01, 2012 5:11 pm)
I rather doubt Ford stockholders who bought at $18.97 in January 2011 are very pleased with today's stock prices.

#100 of 101 Re: Two more years? [Mr_Shiftright] by berri

Nov 02, 2012 (9:00 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Nov 02, 2012 8:34 am)
I think there was some of that "irrational exuberance" initially when Ford avoided BK. Truth is, I think they would have been better off restructuring because they had to leverage the hell out of themselves to avoid BK, keep too much fixed cost and then get shafted by hardline UAW as a return for it. But it did keep the Ford family firmly in control with a minority financial holding through their special class of stock shares. Don't want to be totally negative though, because a lot of the Mulally changes are going to help them out for a long time as long as the Ford family can keep personalities, internal politics and the like out of it after he retires. They can't afford to go back to the old management and leadership model they had before Mulally's leadership.

#101 of 101 Re: Two more years? [berri] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Nov 02, 2012 (9:41 am)

Replying to: berri (Nov 02, 2012 9:00 am)
Good points!
 
Without knowing all the ins and outs of what goes on at Ford behind closed doors, it seems to me, as a rank outsider, that Ford made a strategic error in trying to go into the software business. They really should have hired Silicon Valley to develop all their driver/car interfaces. Their systems haven't worked out too well.

Messages Page 11 of 11

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