A bevy of changes are occurring within the executive ranks at Ford Motor Co., in the main becoming official on Jan. 1, 2016:
- John Fleming, executive VP-manufacturing and labor affairs, is retire after a 48 year career with the OEM;
- Bruce Hettle will succeed Fleming, taking on the new title of group VP-manufacturing and labor affairs, succeeding Fleming. He’ll report directly to Mark Fields, Ford’s president and CEO;
- In turn, Gary Johnson will take over Hettle’s former position as VP for North America manufacturing. He’ll report to Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s executive VP and president of The Americas division;
- Raj Nair steps up to become executive VP-product development and chief technical officer;
- And finally Joy Falotico is being promoted to chief operating officer at Ford Motor Credit while also being elected a corporate officer.
Nair’s appointment, however, is effective Dec. 1. He will continue to report to CEO Fields but now assumes global responsibility for all aspects of the OEM’s design, engineering, research and product development efforts.
“Raj has done an outstanding job leading our team in delivering product excellence with passion,” noted Fields in a statement. “As we expand our global lineup even further, Raj’s leadership will enable us to develop innovative new products and technologies that deliver our core business while also focusing on emerging opportunities, including those in our Ford Smart Mobility plan.”
