Kay Hart named CEO Ford Australia

[GO FURTHER]

It is important to realise that Ford is no longer just a vehicle manufacturer and knows its future lies in "mobility" rather than cars.

That means exploring new ideas of moving people, and not just adding more and more cars to the World's cities that are already congested.

It will take CEO's not only running Ford Australia but Ford globally to turn the company around.

Kay Hart has been hired to investigate and hopefully implement these new ways of mobility... Not just selling vehicles in the traditional ways as we know it today.

[Ford17]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

"digital experience manager" says it all

But this might mean we'll see XF Ghia-esq interiors again:



Seriously though, it's great to have a new leader and an accompanying new direction.

[GTP534]

Originally Posted by cro142

I hope Kay will be an improvement on the string of lacklustre (that's being nice) CEO's who have slept in the Chair since Geoff Polites' time.

Geoff was a standout success for Ford Australia, and the car-buying public. The turkeys in the Chair since probably actually did what the Ford parent company wanted, but this was of no benefit to the car buying public. Sad.

Bob Graziano was pretty good and delayed shutting down Falcon to his own detriment.

This lady may turn out to be from the Bill Bourke and Geoff Polites mould - wouldn’t that be something?!?

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

Ford Australia nolonger manufactures cars, that's simply a fact.
Ergo, rather than managing a a multi-faceted organisation, it is now mostly about sales.
And as I said, with the exception of the Mustang, most of their offering are boring and unexceptional.
I'm not disrespecting the individual, just the role.

May be, just may be go out there and have a read, talk to a few people and then come back with better comments.
Sales will ALWAYS be a focus of all organisations, but along with that Ford is also an engineering hub just like Toyota.
Don't forget there is a national parts distribution which is just as important to car makers as selling the cars themselves.

[simon varley]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

Ergo, rather than managing a a multi-faceted organisation, it is now mostly about sales.

and engineering

and design

and testing

you do know that there are more engineers employed here now than there ever were during Falcon and Territory era?

[FTE217]

No matter if its male or female with Ford OZ/NZ CEO title, will be told what to do from Dearborn full stop.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Whickman will be no loss. I still remember him going on about how the company did no wrong by Powershift owners, which he ended up with a 10m fine for.

[DFB FGXR6]

There does seem to be a consistent pattern over many, many years with long standing employee's of the Ford Motor Company departing the company after having been the Australian CEO.

Grahame Wickman
Bob Graziano
Bill Osborne
Tom Gorman
John Ogden