Ford has announced that Jim Padilla, 59, will retire as president and chief operating officer, effective 1 July.

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Bill Ford, chief executive officer, will assume Padilla’s responsibilities through a new executive operating committee, made of the company’s executive vice presidents.


Padilla joined Ford in 1966 as a quality control engineer. In 1976, he accepted the first of a series of management positions in product engineering and manufacturing. From 1992 to 1996, Padilla served in senior manufacturing, engineering and general management roles at Jaguar during its critical turnaround period.


From 1996 through 1998, he was president of Ford South America operations, where he was responsible for restructuring the company’s operations after the breakup of Autolatina, a joint venture with Volkswagen.


He was named group vice president, global manufacturing in 1999 and added the quality organisation in 2001. From 2001 to 2002, he was group vice president, North America, and was then elevated to executive vice president of the company, president of the Americas. In that role, he was responsible for all operations in the development, manufacturing, marketing and sales of Ford, Mercury and Lincoln vehicles in the United States, Canada, Mexico and South America.
The board of directors appointed Padilla chief operating officer and chairman of automotive operations in April 2004. He joined the board and became the company’s president and chief operating officer in February 2005.

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Ford executives who have risen through the company’s leadership ranks under Padilla’s tenure have included Mark Fields, executive vice president and president, the Americas; Mark Schulz, executive vice president and president, international operations; Anne Stevens, executive vice president and chief operating officer, the Americas; and Lewis Booth, executive vice president, Ford of Europe and Premier Automotive Group.


As part of Padilla’s transition to retirement, Fields and Schulz, who reported to Padilla, will begin reporting directly to Bill Ford. Ford’s other direct reports remain unchanged. Additionally, Bill Ford will chair a new executive operating committee that will be composed of the company’s executive vice presidents, including Fields, Schulz, Stevens, Booth and chief financial officer Don Leclair.