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Lincoln gets global management team led by Farley

19K views 76 replies 11 participants last post by  Logans Run 
#1 ·
Bradford Wernle
Automotive News -- November 1, 2012 - 12:04 pm ET

DETROIT -- As of today, Ford Motor Co.'s Lincoln luxury brand has a global management team.
Jim Farley, executive vice president of global marketing, sales and service, will now add a new job: global leader of Lincoln. Ford announced the change today as part of a shakeup of the company's senior management team.
Reporting to Farley, 50, will be Matt Van ****, who will become head of global marketing, sales and service executive for Lincoln. Van **** has been director of U.S. marketing communications for the Ford and Lincoln brands.
Replacing Van **** in the marketing communications job will be Kevin Koeppen, who has been advertising and media manager for Ford.
Lincoln also said that Andrew Frick will become Lincoln group marketing manager, effective Jan. 1. Frick's current title is general manager of Caribbean and Central America and Asia Pacific, export operations and growth.
The move helps clarify Ford's strategy for Lincoln, which had no clear brand chief until today.


Committed to brand
Ford executives have been eager to stress their commitment to the brand. Last month, Lincoln held an open house at its newly designated design studio to emphasize that its vehicles will not be tarted up versions of Fords. But Lincoln's previous top U.S. marketing executive, C.J. O'Donnell, 50, moved to a new position as head of marketing for Ford's electrified vehicle fleet in September, with no permanent replacement named until today.
Farley had not been the official head of Lincoln until now, but he has been the guiding force behind the brand's reinvention since Ford killed the Mercury brand at the beginning of 2011.
Drawing on his experience developing the Lexus brand during his years at Toyota, Farley has been a prime architect of Lincoln's plan to reinvent itself by offering a new style of customer care based on the service offered at boutique luxury hotels.


On to China
Lincoln is touting the 2013 MKZ sedan as the first vehicle in a new generation of Lincolns designed to lure a new, younger generation of customers.
Ford recently announced it would launch Lincoln in China, the world's largest auto market, in 2014. Lincoln is sold in 22 countries, but the United States accounts for about 90 percent of its annual sales.
 
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#2 ·
22 Countries eh? I didn't think it was that many.

1. USA
2. Canada
3. Mexico
4. Japan
5. Bahrain
6. Jordan
7. Kuwait
8. Lebanon
9. Oman
10. Qatar
11. Saudi Arabia
12. United Arab Emirates
13. Yemen
14. Virgin Islands
15. Puerto Rico
16. American Samoa
17. Guam
18. North Mariana Islands

China would be 19 by my count. Unless I am missing some. I thought South Korea was included but I went on their website and couldn't find Lincoln.
 
#3 ·
22 Countries eh? I didn't think it was that many.

1. USA
2. Canada
3. Mexico
4. Japan
5. Bahrain
6. Jordan
7. Kuwait
8. Lebanon
9. Oman
10. Qatar
11. Saudi Arabia
12. United Arab Emirates
13. Yemen
14. Virgin Islands
15. Puerto Rico
16. Virgin Islands
17. Puerto Rico
18. American Samoa
19. Guam
20. North Mariana Islands

China would be 21 by my count. Unless I am missing some. I thought South Korea was included but I went on their website and couldn't find Lincoln.
I was surprised too. I thought there was like 5 or 6 countries that sold Lincoln.
 
#4 ·
I was surprised too. I thought there was like 5 or 6 countries that sold Lincoln.
Please review my list, I had duplicates on there I now see 18...

And becuase I love lists ;)

View attachment 3331

Interesting that a few countries still show the Town Car.

Navigator is sold EVERYWHERE, Lincoln's true flagship?

MKZ not sold in the middle east perhaps because the Mondeo is sold there and is a better product than the current MKZ?
 

Attachments

#5 ·
Please review my list, I had duplicates on there I now see 18...

And becuase I love lists ;)

View attachment 3331

Interesting that a few countries still show the Town Car.

Navigator is sold EVERYWHERE, Lincoln's true flagship?

MKZ not sold in the middle east perhaps because the Mondeo is sold there and is a better product than the current MKZ?
Nice list, Andrew! It's interesting that Yemen only has the Navigator.

The Mark LT in Mexico still doesn't make sense. I wonder when or if it will be discontinued.
 
#7 ·
ok so this now:
View attachment 3331

& 2014 = CHINA

so what would we like added in 2013?
- I'd hope the Z would go in every Lincoln showroom everywhere
- would Russia be too much? or better after China?
(my patience is GONE

how I wish the MKuGa was ready sooner!!)
Me too I think the Z should be everywhere, I think they can now since the Fusion will be the same as the Mondeo and the MKZ was developed to be better than the Fusion. I wonder if they will bring the Navigator to China? I am wondering if CERTAIN European countries would accept Lincoln. But if they offer it in one they probably have to offer it in all, not really sure how that works. I know there was a guy who used to post on the Lincoln FB page from Poland who imported an MKS, plus we know Poland has a huge Mustang following so they may accept Lincoln just throwing ideas out there.
 
#8 ·
22 Countries eh? I didn't think it was that many.

1. USA
2. Canada
3. Mexico
4. Japan
5. Bahrain
6. Jordan
7. Kuwait
8. Lebanon
9. Oman
10. Qatar
11. Saudi Arabia
12. United Arab Emirates
13. Yemen
14. Virgin Islands
15. Puerto Rico
16. American Samoa
17. Guam
18. North Mariana Islands

China would be 19 by my count. Unless I am missing some. I thought South Korea was included but I went on their website and couldn't find Lincoln.
South Korea


Also, not sure why they said "countries" for some of those are not countries but are territories of the US. "Markets" would be a better.
 
#9 ·
South Korea


Also, not sure why they said "countries" for some of those are not countries but are territories of the US. "Markets" would be a better.
Found it, its a tiny link at the top of the Ford S. Korea website that says Lincoln!

They only have the MKS, MKX, and MKZ... NO NAVIGATOR!

On an unrelated note they sell the F-150 and World Ranger side by side in Panama!!!
 
#10 ·
Me too I think the Z should be everywhere, I think they can now since the Fusion will be the same as the Mondeo and the MKZ was developed to be better than the Fusion. I wonder if they will bring the Navigator to China? I am wondering if CERTAIN European countries would accept Lincoln. But if they offer it in one they probably have to offer it in all, not really sure how that works. I know there was a guy who used to post on the Lincoln FB page from Poland who imported an MKS, plus we know Poland has a huge Mustang following so they may accept Lincoln just throwing ideas out there.
Lincoln in Europe? I cant see what car or truck, except the next MKZ, could sell well in Europe. And the MKZ will sell in small numbers, because is a big car for european standars. Lincoln need a compact, RWD car to figth in Europe, there is no other way. A compact car and a compact crossover.
 
#11 ·
VanDyke Named Director, Global Lincoln


Matt VanDyke


DEARBORN, Mich., Nov. 2, 2012 – Jim Farley, Executive Vice President, Global Marketing, Sales and Service and Lincoln, announced effective immediately Matt VanDyke is appointed director, Global Lincoln. In this new position, VanDyke will be the Marketing, Sales and Service lead for Lincoln globally and will report to Farley. VanDyke has had a variety of roles during his 20-plus years in the luxury automotive industry and brings an excellent knowledge base along with significant experience. Building on the strengths of Lincoln today, one of VanDyke’s initial responsibilities will be to work together with the key stakeholders in Marketing, Sales and Service globally to optimize the new Lincoln vision. VanDyke was formerly director, U.S. Marketing Communications, Marketing, Sales and Service.

http://media.lincoln.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=33719
 
#13 ·
Don't forget Scott Tobin director of product development

 
#18 ·
Ford tasks right exec with returning Lincoln brand to solid luxury status - FreePress
November 4, 2012
by Mark Phelan


It became a little easier this week to believe Ford's promise to turn Lincoln into a legitimate luxury brand...
...I'll get an in-depth briefing on the new 2013 MKZ sedan Monday in Dearborn...

...Lincoln's reinvention began a couple of years ago with three executives: marketing boss C.J. O'Donnell, product development chief Scott Tobin and designer Max Wolff. They laid the foundation, reworking the dealer network, creating a new design theme and pushing Ford's midsize platform to the limit to create the new MKZ...

...Ford has tried and failed to reinvigorate Lincoln before. The automaker's management either did not understand luxury brands or was unwilling to spend what it took to make Lincoln competitive. The company flailed about with neither a coherent plan nor a vigorous brand-champion for Lincoln...

...The three Lincolns that will debut between now and 2014 are pretty much set. It could be years before we know whether Farley pushed Ford out of its comfort zone and into the luxury market...


MORE...
 
#19 ·
by the ^paragraphs:

• maybe the review embargo on the Z will loosen after the Monday press briefings?

• don't like including MxW in the "began a couple of years ago" part
and makes me wonder when O'Donnell & Tobin came onboard ...not all that long I thought
&
as far as 'product'/vehicles, even the MKS & T MCE's from last fall seem "non-directional" to me

• the worst part about Now imho is that development feels every bit as slow as what's gone before

• the 3 vehicles before 2015... ...Lincoln said 4 so can we assume Phelan isn't counting the Z? (think I'll ask him on his facebook)
leaving: the MKuGa, the MKX for Q3 2014, and ... the Aviator? as has been very recently speculated to be much earlier than the Explorer's Q4 2015 move to CD4+3?

also
want to mention that the article has LOT of Farley-praise which, tho on topic for this thread, I just didn't want to include in the quote
 
#20 ·
by the ^paragraphs:
• maybe the review embargo on the Z will loosen after the Monday press briefings?

• the worst part about Now imho is that development feels every bit as slow as what's gone before
Although I noticed that quote about Monday as well, I'm guessing we will not see reviews so fast. The impression I've always had is those ride and drives tend to be a few days, and usually the embargos are lifted 1-4 wks later. Given that Fusion reviews are still popping up (the NYTimes this weekend) and given that there are huge media events ongoing (the superstorm and election) I'm guessing we'll see these reviews in about 2-3 weeks before the holiday season heats up.

A quick note about myself. I'm a longtime board lurker who's finally registered to post. I've owned several BMW's and Saabs (will never go back to BMW or the Germans due to reliability issues, and we all know what happened to Saab) and my last Ford product was a '98 and 1/2 SVT Contour, which to this day I say is the best handling FWD car I've personally ever driven. I've always had a soft spot for Lincoln. I had a beloved late uncle growing up who only drove Lincoln Town Cars and Mark models. He thought everything else was just "a jalopy." He replaced them every 2 years, constantly dazzling me with new models with new features. The first CD I ever heard as a boy was in the dash of his Town Car. So I've long waited frustratingly for Lincoln to make something, ANYTHING I might want to buy. I liked the LS line, but like Charlie Brown and the football, I wanted to wait a generation to see if Ford would either develop the brand and the LS with it or if, like Lucy in Peanuts, they would yank it out from under Lincoln. Well, we know how that all went, and I ended up with another BMW.

So, when my current '08 Saab Turbo-X AWD 6spd wagon is full paid off (I'm going to keep it until its wheels fall off to use as my all-weather sports-car with super carrying capacity) I'll be looking for something different in and around early 2014-15 and the MKZ Hybrid looks perfect. Over double the MPG as the Saab, packed with technology, and with style that won't embarrass a 40 year old in the office parking lot. So, needless to say, I'm excited about possibly being able to come back to "family" at Lincoln.

Will Ford pull up the football again? The article you quite makes me hopeful it won't happen this time. But looking at GM's current management mess, they look poised to squander all of the gains they've made over the last decade. What do you all think?
 
#21 ·
hi Iiari & belated welcome to the forum ... was thinking of you when I posted about Monday, glad you saw that;
iirc sometimes the reporters publish a 'static' review before they're allowed to talk about actually driving the cars, so maybe that?
Agree about waiting a couple-few weeks just to let other priorities quiet down.

Would appreciate you chiming in on Mission:LINCOLN or the
[ Black Label ] threads in particular!
Tho I post a lot about Lincoln, I'm not really a Lincoln-customer myself since they're just not Mercury; of course neither is Ford - - funny/sorry I was just getting interested in Saab then all attempts failed to keep them going...

I don't expect FLincMoCo to swipe the football any time soon - but the Lincolns coming that we've seen or know about, haven't really 'spoken' to *me* yet;
Cadillac (or GM in general) makes me wonder if some amazing deals are to be found on their lots - assuming they have a vehicle to one's taste ... at the moment (or coming 11 months/pre-MKuGa), I'll be very curious/drooling about the ELR -- bad business practices can work to the buyers' advantage sometimes
 
#22 ·
Ford tasks right exec with returning Lincoln brand to solid luxury status - FreePress
November 4, 2012 - by Mark Phelan

...The three Lincolns that will debut between now and 2014 are pretty much set. It could be years before we know whether Farley pushed Ford out of its comfort zone and into the luxury market...
• the 3 vehicles before 2015... ...Lincoln said 4 so can we assume Phelan isn't counting the Z? (think I'll ask him on his facebook)
leaving: the MKuGa, the MKX for Q3 2014, and ... the Aviator? as has been very recently speculated to be much earlier than the Explorer's Q4 2015 move to CD4+3?
I heard back from Mark Phelan (Link)
and he is Not counting the Z:
"I wasn't counting the MKZ, since we already know what it is and I mentioned it at the start of the column. I probably should have made it clear there are three we don't know anything about yet, in addition to the MKZ we've seen. My best guess is two are replacements for the X and S. #3 is TBD. I think Lincoln has more need for small than big, though."​


not that I agree that the MKS is one of the 3
 
#23 ·
Lincoln needs desperatly new vehicles. The compact vehicle ( Crossover, car???? ) is taken too much time to go to market.... The MKS need replacement tomorrow, the navigator is too old and need , almost, a refresh until the new one is ready... And where is the coupe that is mandatory for a luxury or near luxury brand?
 
#24 ·
The MKS(with a real name) should be on the stretched Fusion/MKZ platform within 2 years. It better be bold, stunning, and have lots of room. An MKX(Aviator) looking nothing like the Edge, and a new compact CUV are what I think we have in store for us by model year 2015 as well. Soon after that, a new Navigator, a compact car, and a new luxury coupe based on a stretched version of the next Mustang should be their plan.
 
#25 ·
The MKS(with a real name) should be on the stretched Fusion/MKZ platform within 2 years. It better be bold, stunning, and have lots of room. An MKX(Aviator) looking nothing like the Edge, and a new compact CUV are what I think we have in store for us by model year 2015 as well. Soon after that, a new Navigator, a compact car, and a new luxury coupe based on a stretched version of the next Mustang should be their plan.
The current MKS really does need help. I figured I would give it a chance after seeing it out on the road and such. It seriously is a step backwards in terms of styling. It is all over the place. The first gen looks a lot better imo.
 
#26 ·
...It is all over the place...
You just scared me, Andrew


could it be that since the grille designs are ALL over the place(s),
that they deliberately disjointed the MKS's MCE-styling so it'd fit in with a schizophrenic lineup?



edit/altho.....
imho very few designers unknowingly create a disjointed design/style
so
I'm (again) very suspicious that the fault lies with the Approvers aka 'suits'
 
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