Ford Motor Co. plans to reassign a number of key marketing and sales executives in order to “build an organization that’s leaner and faster,” a company spokesman says.
The most significant move is the appointment of Al Giombetti as executive director-marketing and sales, Ford Customer Service Div. He will report to Darryl Hazel, a senior vice president and president-Ford Customer Service Div.
Giombetti no longer will be a company officer, and his current position of president-marketing and sales, Ford/Lincoln Mercury, is being eliminated.
In another move, Barry Engle is appointed general manager-Ford Div. Marketing. In his new position, Engle will report to Cisco Codina, group vice president-North America Marketing, sales and service. Engle, formerly president of Ford Motor Co. Brasil Ltda., will have responsibility for revenue and retail management.
John Felice is appointed director-North American Fleet, Lease and Remarketing Operations, reporting to Codina. Felice currently is Ford’s general marketing manager.
Randy Ortiz, general sales manager-Ford Customer Service Div., is appointed general manager-Ford and Lincoln Mercury Sales. Ortiz will be responsible for sales of the brands in the U.S. and report to Codina. Ortiz succeeds Kevin Koswick, who is appointed chairman-Dealer Policy Board.
All appointments are effective Jan. 1.
“One of the things we’ve been trying to do is reduce our overall salaried and fixed costs,” the spokesman says of the moves. “That’s what drove the reorganization of our field sales organization…so we have not just leaner structure, but lean structure with the best market coverage.”
Ford says it is expanding the number of regions in its U.S. sales and marketing network to 17.
“We currently have 11 sales office locations and six additional home offices,” the spokesman says. “We’re going to take the home offices and turn them into formal offices, with staffing for sales, marketing and market representation.”
The exact composition, location and leadership of each office has yet to be determined, he says, adding the move is to “better service our dealers.”
