Ford Might Reorganize Sales Unit

Anthony Fontanelle
April 10, 2007

The Ford Motor Co. is still struggling to hit lowered sales targets. Additionally, it missed its first quarter targets. This is why the automaker is expected to reorganize its sales unit.

Cisco Codina, Ford’s top North American sales executive, is in hot water. This information was divulged by sources familiar with the situation. However, Alan Mulally said that he is "not considering" personnel moves "at this time."

From the statement, analysts reflected that Mulally supports Codina and Ford Americas President Mark Fields and these people are the two top officials who are most directly responsible for hitting sales targets in the United States. But the support is expected only until he finds reasons to withdraw the same. Mulally said that Codina and Fields need to put a "full-court press" on increasing showroom traffic and also work on "polishing" the Blue Oval.

Mulally is now closely monitoring the growth of sales in the North American division. He is also supervising the intensity surrounding the ability of Fields, Codina and the rest of the officials liable for the enforcement of the target production and sales. The CEO is concentrating on North American sales and marketing. The automaker might also be searching for a chief marketing officer to take care of the strategic assessment of its cars, trucks and SUVs, their competitiveness and how they are marketed .He will also assess the criticism from dealers so as to remedy it.

"Bottom line is dealer sales and dealer profitability have got to improve," said Kevin Collins, the president of Bill Collins Ford in Louisville, Ky., and the chairman of the Ford National Dealer Council. "Our issues are critical and we don't have a lot of time to wait."

Mulally is a committed believer in making a business plan happen. He is reviewing it weekly to hit the targets. The bottom line is, If the automaker missed the quarter, but haven't given up on "making the year," crucial if Fields and his sales team hope to extend their tenure into next year. This is why there is accelerated urgency to entertain changes in sales and marketing before too much time is wasted. There is certainly no way that the automaker will be using Active Brakes Direct to lose speed in regard to its aim to cope.

Top executives of the automaker would not comment on pure ‘speculation’ over the leadership of sales and marketing, which they credit with "stabilizing" Ford. There have been high-level discussions about reassigning Codina and replacing him with Darryl Hazel, the president of Ford customer service, among others.

But Mulally, in his job for less than half a year, is reflecting an inclination to let results drive change. By publicly declaring that Fields and Codina need to drive showroom traffic and "polish the Oval," Mulally is ratcheting up the expectation both of them must meet.

Source:  Amazines.com