Premier Automotive Group combines North American Operations

Ford Motor Company’s luxury division, the Premier Automotive Group, is creating a single organization for the American operations of its three British lines – Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin.

Effective September 1, 2001, the organization will combine sales, marketing, communications, franchise development, distribution, parts and customer service of the three luxury lines.

Dr. Wolfgang Reitzle, Chairman of the Premier Automotive Group, explains, “Combining our British marques in North America makes great sense for our retailers, customers and investors, while creating an environment where they can grow stronger as individual brands.”

Selected to head the new Aston Martin Jaguar Land Rover North America is Mike O’Driscoll, currently the President of Jaguar North America. He is responsible for sales, marketing, franchise development and customer service activities in North America for all three brands.

Says Mr. O’Driscoll, "With all three British marques operating together, we will start to achieve the critical mass required to compete head-to-head with other premium car and truck manufacturers. To be successful in the premium market, you need to be able to offer a broad range of vehicles. With Aston Martin, Jaguar and Land Rover, we are able to offer that range without diluting the core values of each individual marque."

The Executive Director of the Premier Automotive Group, Vic Doolan, says of the move, "They all share a similar culture and philosophy combined with a product range that is complementary and with virtually no overlap. Historically, Aston Martin, Jaguar and Land Rover retailers have often been co-located on single sites. Aston Martin Jaguar Land Rover North America will allow us to bring synergies where they make sense for our customers and retailers while retaining each marques' unique culture and identity.”

Although Volvo and Lincoln Mercury are not included in the move, the Premier Automotive Group is forming another group that includes each of the Premier brands to provide other shared services including human resources, finance, information technology and retail transformation.

The creation of the new organizations coincide with the move into the new Irvine, CA headquarters by all five Premier brands. The move should be completed in September.

The British companies will maintain certain functions out of the Maryland and New Jersey locations until mid-2002, when the three divisions will establish a single east coast operations center in Mahwah, NJ. The Land Rover University and Technical Training Center in Lanham, MD will stay at its current location.

In other management changes, the following positions will report to Mike O'Driscoll, President Aston Martin Jaguar Land Rover North America:

John Walton, Vice President and General Manager, Aston Martin Sue Callaway, Vice President and General Manager, Jaguar Steve McKnight, Vice President and General Manager, Land Rover.

The following positions have responsibility for all three brands and will report to Mr. O’Driscoll:

Fran O'Hagan, Vice President Franchise Operations Doug Speck, Vice President Retail Operations Simon Sproule, Vice President Communications,Mktng Services Gary Temple, Vice President Customer Services.

The president of Land Rover North America, Howard Mosher, is leaving the company in 2002, but will continue as president within the new consolidated organization until then. In addition to this role, he will assist the internal and external transition teams through the initial integration process.