When Bill Ford, of the famous founding Ford
family took over the reins at FoMoCo after the dumping of
previous boss Jac Nasser, many thought that this was a fine
example of nepotism at the top of the world’s number two car
maker. The company could get a “Ford” as a figurehead, but
that was not quite what they got.
Bill
Ford
Bill Ford’s mission was to get the
company to turn around and he said he would do this by going
back to basics and concentrating on what FoMoCo knew best -
making cars and trucks. Since then the company has sold off
many motor sideline businesses, and whilst the books are still
not all that healthy for an enterprise of the size of Ford,
they are certainly better than before.
After one year in the “Blue Oval”
office, Automotive News interviewed Bill Ford and his
forthright replies I found very enlightening. Here are a
couple of topics from the very lengthy interview.
(AN) “Do you plan to be in this job as
the CEO beyond the turnaround?”
(BF) “Oh yes. I will be here as long as
anybody wants me here. I love this place and I am not looking
to hand this off. I will take great satisfaction when we get
the results of the turnaround fully implemented and going
forward.
“Someday will my role change? Maybe.
Nothing lasts forever. But I am committed to seeing this
company back on its feet and doing well. I was committed and I
never looked back. This isn’t something I look at as a
part-time job. Or something I looked at as I am going to just
do until I can get out of here as fast as I possibly can. I
love this company. I will do whatever I can to help it. I
think I can drive it from this job very well.”
(AN) “A year ago you said you felt
obliged to take the job because you cared about the company
and what the company would be for your kids down the road and
their kids, as if you might not want to stay on the job until
you are 65.”
(BF) “There are days I am not sure I am
going to make it until the next morning. It is hard to look
that far down the road.
“Part of it is just my personality. I
have never wanted to plan my life out that far in advance. I
was surprised when I read earlier this year, “He is
reluctant,” or “He doesn’t want to do it.” Then I
looked back. I read some interviews I did 10 or 15 years ago.
Even back then, I was saying, “I don’t know what next year
will hold for me. I like what I am doing now. We’ll see.”
“I have always taken this place a year at
a time. I’ve always taken my life that way. I have never
been one to plan out the next 20 years. Because nothing ever
turns out the way you plan anyway. Also, it is just my nature
not to lock myself into something, any kind of mindset.
“But having said that, I can’t imagine
doing anything else at this point. I am committed to the
success of this company.”
Automotive News also dealt with the “Back
to Basics” concept.
(AN) “You may think this question is
absurd given what you have been through in the last year. But
in dwelling on back to basics is there a danger the pendulum
swings too far back and you create a culture that cannot be
creative and bring out the next big thing?”
(BF) “There is always a risk in that. To
me, back to basics wasn’t turning back the clock. It was
refocusing on our core business. There is a difference.
“Some of the things we have done really
do go back to where we were before. For instance, the
organization itself is less matrixed. We have eliminated most
of that in favor of mostly straight-line reporting
relationships, clear lines of authority and delineation.
“While that is kind of more traditional,
we are driving the system to be creative. Again, I look to
Ford of Europe. They have been very opportunistic and creative
in their product formation.
“Back to basics, heck that’s where they
were. They never tried to be anything other than a terrific
car and truck company. That allowed them to be more creative
because they were more focused on their core business.
“That is my hope for the entire company -
not that we become more stodgy. If we do that, we will have
failed. But that in fact, by being more focused, it will allow
us to be more creative and more innovative.
“We’ve got things like the hybrid
Escape coming next year, which is a break into a whole new
direction for us. That technology, if it is successful, we can
migrate relatively quickly to other vehicle lines.
“What I want us to do is to be focused
enough so that if something like that does hit, we can quickly
respond and take it into other directions. I actually think I
am freeing up our car and truck people to be more creative
because there are no other things to be distracted by
anymore.”
