[Sal Collaziano]

Ford today said it is elevating Jim Farley, its top marketing officer, to a global marketing role and said Stephen Odell, vice president and CEO of Volvo Cars, will become CEO of Ford of Europe after the company completes the sale of Volvo.

The automaker also said John Fleming, who currently serves as both chairman and CEO of Ford of Europe and head of global manufacturing and labor affairs, will concentrate on the global manufacturing and labor affairs role. That move frees Fleming to lead Ford in its labor talks with the UAW as its four-year contract with the union expires next year.

Farley, 48, is currently Ford group vice president of global marketing and was overseeing the company’s operations in Canada, Mexico and South America operations. In his new role, Farley will shed the operational duties but his marketing responsibilities will be expanded to include global oversight of sales and customer service.

Ford said this is the first time it has had a single executive in charge of marketing, sales and service throughout the world. For Farley, the change is effective Aug. 1.

“As we accelerate our profitable growth plan around the world, it is critical that we build a world-class global marketing, sales and service operation. There is no one better to lead this effort than Jim Farley,” Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally said in a statement.

The changes for both Odell and Fleming will occur after Ford completes the sale of Volvo to Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Ltd., which is expected to occur by the end of September.

Fleming, 58, was named CEO of Ford of Europe in 2005 and was given the added labor and manufacturing duties in December.

Odell, 55, has been president of Volvo since 2008. Since then, Odell both improved Volvo’s operations and guided the company through a complex sale process.

Ford also said Volvo CFO Stuart Rowley, 43, will become CFO of Ford of Europe.

“These moves allow us to strengthen our global team as we accelerate our One Ford plan and continue to profitably grow, serving our customers around the world,” Mulally said.

Separately, Geely said today announced that Li Shufu, its Chairman, will also become chairman of Volvo. Geely said it will name a CEO and CFO of Volvo in the near future.

Ford reached an agreement earlier this year to sell Volvo to Geely for $1.8 billion.

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[ausrutherford]

Ford shifts global leadership

Ford has announced a number of key global leadership changes as part of the company's "One Ford" initiative.

Continuing its “One Ford” plan, Ford has announced a restructuring of its global operations. The changes affect Ford’s Global Manufacturing & Labor Affairs, Ford of Europe, Global Marketing, Sales and Service, and Latin American operations.
John Fleming, 58, will take over Ford’s Global Manufacturing & Labor Affairs operations. Fleming was appointed to his current role as CEO of Ford of Europe in 2005 and added the title of chairman in October 2008. He has also been in charge of Ford’s Global Manufacturing and Labor Affairs since December 2009.
Current Volvo Cars CEO Stephen Odell will fill Fleming’s vacated role as chairman and CEO of Ford of Europe. Odell, 55, was named president of Volvo in 2008, and helped guide the Swedish automaker through its recent sale to China’s Geely. Volvo’s CFO, Stuart Rowley, will also be joing the Ford of Europe ranks, taking over as the division’s chief financial officer.
All three shifts will become effective following Ford’s completed sale of Volvo to Geely, expected sometime later this quarter.
Lastly, Ford announced that Jim Farley will be leading the company’s global marketing efforts. This marks the first time Ford has a single global leader for marketing, sales and service. Farley is currently Ford group vice president, Global Marketing and Canada, Mexico and South America operations. Farley will take the reigns as Ford’s global marketing head on August 1.



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[Sal Collaziano]

Mulally reveals shake-up among Ford executives

Ford CEO Alan Mulally, who has made remarkably few management changes at the Dearborn automaker since arriving in 2006, announced Thursday that he was changing the roles of a few members of his top management team.

Ford said Thursday it would move Jim Farley, the company's top marketing officer, to an expanded role that also includes sales and customer service effective Aug. 1.

Stephen Odell, vice president and CEO of Volvo Cars, will become CEO of Ford of Europe after the company completes the sale of Volvo, which is expected to occur by the end of September. Ford reached an agreement earlier this year to sell Swedish carmaker Volvo to Zhejiang Geely Holding Group for $1.8 billion.

Ford also said John Fleming -- who currently serves as chairman and CEO of Ford of Europe and head of global manufacturing and labor affairs -- will now concentrate only on the global manufacturing and labor affairs role.

That move frees Fleming to lead Ford in its labor talks with the UAW as its four-year contract with the union expires next year.

Farley, 48, is currently Ford group vice president of global marketing and was appointed in December to oversee Ford's operations in Canada, Mexico and South America.

Farley, a former Toyota executive who is viewed as a possible candidate for CEO at Ford, has led Ford's global marketing operations since he joined the company in November 2007.

In his new role, Farley will shed his regional operational duties, which are being assigned to a variety of existing Ford executives from those regions.

Ford said this is the first time it has had a single executive in charge of marketing, sales and service throughout the world.

Separately, Geely announced Thursday that Li Shufu, its chairman, will become chairman of Volvo.

Geely also named Hans-Olov Olsson as vice chairman of Volvo Cars. Olsson is a former president and CEO of the Swedish carmaker.

Geely said it will name a CEO and chief financial officer of Volvo in the near future. Bloomberg News has reported that Stefan Jacoby, president and chief executive of Herndon, Va.-based Volkswagen Group of America, is a contender for the Volvo job.

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