MSNBC looks at Whitacre’s job thus far at General Motors
Ed Whitacre hasn’t been on the job long at GM as the former interim now permanent CEO, but already his wrath can be seen. Thousands of jobs have been cut, executives have been shown the door, and the old corporate structure has been flipped upside-down. Does this mean GM is out of the woods yet? Hardly, but it has shown some signs of life in recent months, putting out some of the nicest products ever in its 100 year history. For more on the story, head on over to MSNBC.
(Image source: NYDailyNews.com)
Alan Mulally, Ford Motor Company CEO (and my hero,) named 2010 Man of the Year by Automobile magazine
If you have ever had the opportunity to hear Alan Mulally speak, then you will understand where I am coming from. If you haven’t had the opportunity, then you do not know what you are missing (and I suggest you rectify this as soon as possible.) He is charismatic, intelligent, and quick on his feet. He is also a hard worker, and someone who knows how to get the job done. As CEO of Ford Motor Company since 2006, he has reworked a culture that was developed over decades of people being content with doing their job with a “good enough” attitude.
The magic he performed at FoMoCo kept the company from taking a Federal bailout like crosstown rivals GM and Chrysler and it also prevented Ford from filing for bankruptcy (like said rivals did early in 2009.) For these reasons, and for pushing his teams to produce world class vehicles such as the 41 mpg Ford Fusion hybrid, Alan Mulally was named Automobile magazine’s 2010 Man of the Year. Congratulations Alan! Check out the full story at Automobilemag.com.
(Image source: Ford)
Global Ford Ranger and Ka not coming to the United States
Alan Mullaly, Ford Motor Company’s CEO, has stated that sadly the global Ranger pickup and the A-size Ka will not be coming to the U. S. The dilemma for Ford is that the Ranger has grown outside of the States to be nearing the range of the F-150. It would just not make business sense for Ford to bring it here, even though the current Ranger in the States will be discontinued in 2011.
Another model we won’t be seeing is the Ford Ka, a tiny lil bugga’ of a vehicle. It’s 25 inches shorter than the Fiesta that will be making its debut here in 2010. For more details, head on over to Autoblog.
(Image source: Ford of Europe)
