Ford addresses top UK business leaders
FORD president Alan Mulally has described the company’s turnaround to top UK business leaders.
He spoke at the at the CBI Annual Lecture, where he explained just how the blue oval was the only big US car maker not to go bankrupt during the recession. That was despite Ford losing cash when Mulally joined in 2006, he said. 3 years later, Ford was in profit to the tune of $2.7bn, and this year overtook GM in sales for the first time in 80 years.
He did it under the ONE Ford strategy, business leaders were told. This is about focusing on global manufacturing, to maximise economies of scale. It also helps roll out new Ford cars in fast-growing emerging markets. The UK has a prime role in this. ‘One third of Ford cars globally are powered by engines manufactured and engineered in Britain.
‘Ford in Britain can produce 2 million engines a year. It has a global role and one that can grow in importance.’
Dealers are playing their part here though, of course. The UK is actually Ford’s second-largest market of all outside the US – yes, bigger than Germany, bigger than China.
As Mulally pointed out, Ford has also been the UK car market leader for no less than 33 years.
The CBI speaks for 240,000 UK businesses that employ a third of the private sector workforce. Its director-general, Richard Lambert, said: ‘Alan’s personal insight into the overhaul of Ford’s US product line, including the introduction to the US of new small cars developed in Europe, and his culture change at an executive level, provides businesses with valuable lessons on how to adapt to a changing economic climate.’
