Ford has announced that Chief Operating Officer Jim Padilla has been named president of the company and elected a director of the Board, both effective February 1, 2005. At the same time, Ford announced the retirement plans of President Nick Scheele (succeeded in that role by Padilla) and Vice Chairman Allan Gilmour, two long-time company veterans who played instrumental leadership roles during the first three years of Chairman Bill Ford’s tenure as chief executive officer.
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In addition, the company also announced a series of executive appointments and management realignments including the appointment of Chief Financial Officer Don Leclair as an executive vice president of the company.
In April, Padilla (58) had been appointed chief operating officer of the company and chairman of Ford Automotive Operations, following his time as president of the company’s Americas operations.
“Jim is a results-driven individual who attracts and empowers the kind of Ford executives we want leading this company: People who share my commitment to this company’s long-term future and to delivering results that will get us there,” said Bill Ford, the company’s chairman and chief executive officer. “He’s the right man for the job, and the right man to ensure that in this extremely competitive automotive business the Ford Motor Company remains focused on what it needs to do to succeed.”
Added Padilla: “This opportunity to serve both as a top officer of the company and as a member of its Board of Directors comes at a time when Ford is blessed with a wealth of talented men and women who have made a long-term commitment to this company. They’re passionate about great products, about building on the basics of our business, and about ensuring that the Ford Motor Company makes a difference in this world.”
Scheele, 60, a 38-year veteran of Ford, will retire as President and as a director of the Board on February 1. Most recently, he was a chief architect of the “Back to Basics” strategy the company launched in 2001 when Chairman Bill Ford became CEO and asked him to lead the company’s turnaround effort. Scheele returned to North America after a run as the head of the company’s Ford of Europe operations.
“When I became chief executive officer three years ago, I turned to trusted Ford veterans, such as Nick, to help us address a host of difficult operating issues, and to steer this company back to the basics of our business,” Ford said. “Not only did Nick help us overcome many of our challenges, he mended relationships with our dealers, our suppliers and our employees, and he helped set the stage for a new generation of leaders that now is turning its focus to making Ford the most competitive global automaker it can be.”
Reflecting on his retirement plans, Scheele said: “It has been both a privilege and a rewarding experience to have played the role that I have played over my many years with the company. I’m grateful for the trust Bill Ford and the Board of Directors placed in me, for the employees who gave so much of themselves, and for what I was able to deliver. As I look forward, I do so confidently, knowing that the Ford Motor Company is being led by people capable of achieving great things, and who have this company’s long- term interests at heart.”
Gilmour, 70, is planning his second retirement from Ford after re-joining the company in 2002 to become its vice chairman, and its chief financial officer through July, 2003. Gilmour will retire, effective February 1, and will begin transitioning his duties on January 1, 2005. During his first tenure with the company, Gilmour served 34 years, holding numerous leadership roles such as president, Ford Automotive Group and chief financial officer of the company.
“Throughout the course of my career, Allan has been a valued source of wisdom and counsel,” Ford said. “So it was only natural that two years ago I would turn to him at a time when we sorely needed to restore the company’s credibility in the financial markets. Since then, Allan has strengthened our finance organization, provided valuable leadership on many policy, personnel and strategy issues, and served as a respected ambassador within our industry. For this and more, I will be indebted to Allan for his loyalty, his sacrifice, and his generosity.”
Added Gilmour: “Bill’s request to come back from retirement and to join his team was one I could have never turned down, and one that turned out to be satisfying beyond my expectations. Of course, there’s more work to be done, and I have great confidence in Bill and in the leadership team he has built for the future. I leave Ford with the tremendous satisfaction that I’m leaving behind a stronger company than I found two years ago.”
As a result of the announcements, Bill Ford adds three direct reports, effective January 1, 2005. They are Joe Laymon, 52, group vice president, Corporate Human Resources and Labor Affairs; CFO and EVP Leclair, 52; and Ziad Ojakli, 37, group vice president, Corporate Affairs.
Ford’s other direct reports include Padilla, 58; Charlie Holleran, 59, vice president and chief communications officer; Dennis Ross, 53, vice president and general counsel; and Jim Vella, 48, vice president and chief of staff.
