Two top Ford execs are jumping ship

[NFS4]

Product chief Phil Martens leaves Ford Motor Co.

Amy Wilson

Phil Martens, Ford Motor Co.'s head of production creation for North America, is leaving the company, sources said Monday afternoon.

Matt DeMars, Ford's vice president of North American vehicle operations, is also leaving the company.

"I can confirm that we've received correspondence from each of them indicating their intention to leave," Ford spokesman Oscar Suris said Monday.

In a statement, the automaker said: "Bill Ford and Mark Fields have made an assessment of the management team in the Americas and we expect they will review certain leadership changes with our board in the very near future. We would not be surprised if some people elect to leave Ford Motor Co. in the meantime. If they choose to do that, that is of course their decision."

Martens, 45, started at Ford in 1987. He was named to his current post, group vice president of product creation, on Oct. 1, 2003.

In 1999 he was assigned to Mazda Motor Corp. to head product planning and development. There he led the redesign of the RX-8 sports car and creation of the Mazda6 sedan.

You may e-mail Amy Wilson at awilson@crain.com

-Autonews


Could be heading to Hyundai/Kia with Len Hunt

 

[ajpa123]

If you're really quiet... you will hear noises.. (that's Henry Ford turning over in his grave)


Edited for Piss-Poor spelling...
NoteToSelf quite != quiet

 

[no0b]

Originally posted by: ajpa123
If you're really quite... you will hear noises.. (that's Henry Ford turning over in his grave)

I bet hes been spin in his grave for awhile, last time I checked he was 1/2 the way to China.

 

[Rubycon]

Wow they should get into the olympics being able to jump that high.

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: C6FT7
Wow they should get into the olympics being able to jump that high.

2008 Olympics FTW

 

[Sheepathon]

Well, the new Sonata is only an indicator of what domestic-asskicking will come in the future.

 

[Ausm]

Maybe instead of laying off real workers they were going to target management


Ausm

 

[DragonMasterAlex]

It's unlikely this is a sign of anything significant at Ford, but if we're really lucky it will be an indicator that the company is in serious danger of going belly up. I'd like to see Ford, along with GM, either collapse and die or get so terrified that they will go bankrupt that they've got no choice but to revise their businesses and their cars in some very fundamental ways (read: Stop making gas-pig tankmobiles and start making cars that are efficient AND stylish).

Jason

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: DragonMasterAlex
It's unlikely this is a sign of anything significant at Ford, but if we're really lucky it will be an indicator that the company is in serious danger of going belly up. I'd like to see Ford, along with GM, either collapse and die or get so terrified that they will go bankrupt that they've got no choice but to revise their businesses and their cars in some very fundamental ways (read: Stop making gas-pig tankmobiles and start making cars that are efficient AND stylish).

Jason

ford fusion?

 

[Yreka]

Originally posted by: DragonMasterAlex
It's unlikely this is a sign of anything significant at Ford, but if we're really lucky it will be an indicator that the company is in serious danger of going belly up. I'd like to see Ford, along with GM, either collapse and die or get so terrified that they will go bankrupt that they've got no choice but to revise their businesses and their cars in some very fundamental ways (read: Stop making gas-pig tankmobiles and start making cars that are efficient AND stylish).

Jason

I would like the same result realized without having to go to the "collapse and die" or bankrupt stage.

Wishful thinking I know..

 

[Analog]

They're getting out before they're fired.