Oz Native to Head Ford Australia

Ford Motor Co. names Australian Marin Burela president and CEO of Ford Motor Co. of Australia Ltd.

Burela is the third Ford Australia boss in less than a year, following the sudden resignation of Bill Osborne last month.

Currently Ford’s vehicle line executive director-Global Small Car Segment Vehicles, Burela is returning to Ford Australia’s Melbourne offices where he started his career. He’ll report directly to John Parker, executive vice president-Asia/Pacific and Africa.

Ford says John Sullivan, now director-product development, Asia/Pacific and Africa and based in Thailand, takes over Burela’s old job and will work out of Cologne, Germany.

Burela joined Ford in 1984 and has served in a variety of senior management positions in manufacturing, sales and marketing and product development in Asia, Europe and North America. These included a number of senior management roles at Ford of Australia, where he was last based in 1998.

“Burela’s strong leadership and broad experience within Ford Motor Co. will be vital to driving the successful future of Ford Australia’s operations,” Parker says in a statement.

“As a Geelong (Australia) native, his return to Ford Australia allows him to lead not only one of Ford’s more strategic global markets, but one for which he has such a strong affinity.”

In assuming his new role, Sullivan, who joined Ford in 1978, will lead the development of the new Ford Fiesta, as well as future small-car programs that are a defining part of Ford’s new global-product strategy.