FDM Group Regulatory News (FDM)

25 Jan 2006 07:00

Ford Motor Co24 January 2006 Contact: Marcey Evans (313)322-9211 mevans13@ford.com FORD ANNOUNCES LEADERSHIP CHANGES; REDUCES CORPORATE OFFICER RANKS • Stephen G. Lyons, 57, the Company's group vice president, North America Marketing, Sales and Service, is electing to retire, effective March 1. • Cisco Codina, 54, succeeding Lyons , is elected Ford Motor Company group vice president, North America Marketing, Sales and Service, effective March 1. • Darryl B. Hazel, 57, is elected senior vice president and president, Ford Customer Service Division, effective March 1. • Al Giombetti, 49, is appointed vice president, Ford Motor Company and president, Ford and Lincoln Mercury Marketing and Sales, effective March 1. • Tim O'Brien, 53, the Company's vice president, Corporate Relations, is named deputy chief of staff, executive operations and sustainability, effective immediately. • Barbara L. Gasper, 51, Ford Motor Company vice president, Investor Relations, is leaving the Company to pursue other interests. DEARBORN, Mich., Jan. 24 - Ford Motor Company announced today a series ofexecutive changes that will help to streamline its operations and contribute tothe commitment of reducing its corporate officer ranks by about 12 percent bythe end of the first quarter this year. With these and other announced changes, Ford has reduced its total number ofcorporate officers by four. In the process, the Company has streamlined itsProduct Development organization, where two, instead of three, corporateofficers will lead these operations in The Americas. And, three, as opposed tofour, corporate officers are now charged with running the Marketing, Sales andService organization in North America . Steve Lyons is electing to retire on March 1, as the Company's group vicepresident, North America Marketing, Sales and Service. He plans to continue hisrelationship with Ford Motor Company as a Ford dealer in Arizona . Lyons isending a 33-year career as one of Ford's Marketing, Sales and Service leaders.He joined Ford in 1972 as a truck design engineer and progressed through aseries of product-related assignments before joining Ford Division in 1982.Throughout the next 20 years, he held a number of positions in marketing andsales, including advertising manager and general marketing manager for LincolnMercury and general marketing manager and general sales manager for FordDivision. "Steve's ability to drive results throughout an organization will be missed,"said Bill Ford, Ford Motor Company Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Hisknowledge of our business undoubtedly will serve him well as our newest Forddealer. This new endeavor, which he has chosen to pursue, demonstrates hisconfidence in the Company and its future." Lyons is succeeded as group vice president, North America Marketing, Sales andService by Cisco Codina, previously the company's vice president and president,Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD). Codina will report to Mark Fields. Hebegan his career with Ford in 1977 as a zone manager and parts and servicerepresentative for FCSD in New Orleans. He then held several positions withFCSD in Los Angeles, before moving to Lincoln Mercury Marketing. Followingthat, Codina served in international assignments for Ford of Mexico and Ford ofArgentina, where he became president of the operation. In March 2001, he wasnamed general marketing manager for Ford Division, and, in 2003, he took thehelm at Ford Customer Service Division. Darryl Hazel, Ford Motor Company vice president and president, Marketing, iselected a Company senior vice president and succeeds Codina as president, FordCustomer Service Division. Hazel will report to Codina. He joined the company in1972 as an analyst in Lincoln Mercury's New York District Sales Office andserved in various roles in New York, before taking on managerial positions inother parts of the country. During his career, Hazel also held several positionsin both North American Automotive Operations Marketing, and in ProductDevelopment. He previously served as both general sales manager and presidentfor Lincoln Mercury Division, as well as general marketing manager for FordDivision, and president of FCSD. Hazel was named president of Ford Division inApril 2005, and was appointed to his current position in September 2005, when hebecame responsible for Ford, Lincoln and Mercury Marketing, as well as Revenue,Retail Management and Global Marketing Services. Also reporting to Codina is Al Giombetti, who is appointed Ford Motor Companyvice president and president, Ford and Lincoln Mercury, Marketing and Sales. Inthis new position, the sales operations for Ford and Lincoln Mercury willcontinue to report to Al, as well as the Ford, Lincoln and Mercury marketingoperations. Giombetti joined Ford in 1981, and has held a variety of positionswithin Lincoln Mercury, Ford Division and FCSD. In his most recent role asgeneral sales manager, Lincoln Mercury, Giombetti was responsible for developingand implementing national sales, production, distribution, incentive and fieldmarketing strategies for the two brands. "I couldn't dream of a better team to lead Ford's North America Marketing, Salesand Service organization," said Mark Fields, Ford Motor Company executive vicepresident and president, The Americas. "Cisco, Darryl and Al have years oftalent and experience and a winning attitude. They will help bring to realityour accelerated commitment to having customers drive everything that we do." Tim O'Brien, previously Ford Motor Company vice president, Corporate Relations,is named deputy chief of staff, executive operations and sustainability,reporting to Steve Hamp, chief of staff, effective immediately. In this non-officer role, O'Brien will direct executive operations, including theoperational processes of the office of the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.Tim will also continue his role as the Company's champion of sustainabilityprograms. "Tim's role in the development of the Rouge facility, and countless other thingshe has spearheaded as vice president, Corporate Relations, have well preparedhim for the new responsibility he is about to undertake," said Steve Hamp, chiefof staff. "I welcome Tim to the team and look forward to our working closelytogether to deliver on the Company's commitment to innovation and driving aninnovation-led culture at Ford." Barbara Gasper, the Company's vice president of Investor Relations, will leavethe Company to pursue other interests. She joined Ford in February 2003 and wasresponsible for the Company's communications and relationships with theinvestment community, asset managers and retail shareholders worldwide. She willnot be replaced in this role at the corporate officer level. "Barbara has served Ford well in her role in Investor Relations," said DonLeclair, Ford Motor Company executive vice president and chief financialofficer. "She always put the Company's interests first, and we wish her well inher future endeavors." Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn,Mich., manufactures and distributes automobiles in 200 markets across sixcontinents. With about 300,000 employees worldwide, the company's core andaffiliated automotive brands include Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover,Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. Its automotive-related service includes FordMotor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, pleasevisit www.fordvehicles.com. Go to http://media.ford.com for news releases and high-resolution photographs. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange