Quote:Bill Osborne has been President and CEO of Ford of Canada since November 2005, an 14-month tenure that, at first glance, makes him look like the new kid on the block. But Osborne's been around Ford for much longer than that: he joined the company in 1990 and has worked in a variety of positions.

These days, though, his purview includes overseeing Ford's 13,000 corporate employees working out of a national headquarters, three regional offices, two branch offices, five vehicle assembly and engine plants, two parts distribution centres and affiliates like Ford Credit, as well as Premier Automotive Group brands Jaguar, Volvo and Land Rover.

 
Considering that Canada is Ford's fourth-largest market worldwide, it's safe to say Osborne has a lot on his plate, but he graciously took a few minutes to talk to us at the recent Detroit auto show about his company: where Ford is now, and where the automaker plans to be in the future.

There's little doubt that the F-series pickup line is Ford's most recognizable product, and has been the company's best-selling vehicle for many years. The full-size pickup market is also perhaps the one segment where Ford has consistently dominated the market in terms of sales and quality, but that dominance is under attack with the arrival of the all-new Toyota Tundra. Osborne says that while he's sure the new Tundra will be a strong player in the segment, he's not worried about Toyota usurping Ford's place of power in pickup trucks, thanks to a constant stream of improvements and upgrades planned for the F-series.

"Our goal with the F-series is not to stand still," said Osborne. "The Tundra will be a worthy competitor, but the next F-series will leapfrog it in terms of innovations and utility. Toyota is shooting at a moving target."

At the other end of Ford's product range, Ford debuted a redesigned Focus at the 2007 Detroit auto show. But despite the new look, the car is still based on the same platform the original 2000 Focus rode on when it went on sale nearly eight years ago. In the meantime, Europe has had a second-generation Focus - based on the excellent C1 platform that underpins the Mazda3 and Volvo S40/V50 - since 2005.

Ford has been widely criticized for opting out of the C1 platform for the North American Focus, but Osborne says the decision to leave our Focus as is had more to do with North American crash regulations than anything else.

He says many past Ford products were global models designed regionally but that a new "global product development organization" within Ford will change that. Under the leadership of recently appointed Global Product Development chief Derek Kuzak - Ford's former Vice-President of Product Development in Europe - many future models will be conceived and designed in Dearborn for sale in both North American and overseas markets. When asked if there's a particular Ford vehicle that he feels defines the company, Osborne names not one, but two. First, the new F-series Super Duty pickup, a truck he says was designed to "maintain Ford's leadership" in the truck segment. The other is the Ford Edge and its Lincoln counterpart, the MKX.

"The Edge represents the modern interpretation of the crossover segment and is a clear leader in the class," he says. "The crossover segment hasn't been clearly defined yet, but we're very excited about the Edge, because it has what it takes to do just that and give this new segment a clear direction for the future."

Chris Chase is an Ottawa-based automotive journalist.

focuschef71,Feb 1 2007, 10:04 PM Wrote:Ummm if we don't get the C1 focus because of crash reg. why are there Mazda 3's & Volvo S 40's on our roads?
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NOS2Go4Me,Feb 1 2007, 08:09 PM Wrote:Does anyone know how we contact this moron (or his office email scanners) to tell him that he must really think we're all dense?
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D-Dub,Feb 1 2007, 10: Wrote:This guy doesnt know s*** ............he just gets a fax from time to time. Just another apointed figure that is regarted lower then the CEO's assistant in Fords world.
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ZTWsquared,Feb 2 2007, 07:58 AM Wrote:

D-Dub,Feb 1 2007, 10: Wrote:This guy doesnt know s*** ............he just gets a fax from time to time. Just another apointed figure that is regarted lower then the CEO's assistant in Fords world.
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Sorry ... but nothing could be further from the truth. Osborne is the head of Ford's 4th largest enterprise in the world and almost $14 billion in revenue and tens of thousands of jobs - it is a real-world position with real world responsibilities and an annual paycheque in excess of a million bucks, not including stock options and other perqs. Many of Osborne's predecesors were also on Ford's global executive board although it doesn't look like Osborne is.

But even if it was Bill Ford himself, one person alone simply can't make a unilateral decision to make or import a vehicle, and the sad fact for us is that decisions made about North American production are typically made with respect first to the American market.

BTW - although his assistanct certainly has access to his email (her name is Janet, nice lady) Osborne might very well open his email himself - all the Ford execs I worked with did to some degree.
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meford4u,Feb 2 2007, 10:35 AM Wrote:I am almost certain that Janet was my Dad's secretary back when he worked there.
Is she an older woman(than me, maybe not you :D ) and quite attractive brunette?
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D-Dub,Feb 2 2007, 09: Wrote:.....the new F-series Super Duty pickup, a truck he says was designed to "maintain Ford's leadership" in the truck segment. The other is the Ford Edge and its Lincoln counterpart, the MKX."

Are you sure about that..........if he was in charge of Canadian operations he would know that cars are hot right now in Canada and not trucks.

He should have said they are switching up the business plan...........but he cant cause hes doesnt call the shots for North America. His job is to make sure product is produced and cost effectively in Canada.
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Kool_ZX3,Feb 2 2007, 10:08 PM Wrote:

D-Dub,Feb 2 2007, 09: Wrote:.....the new F-series Super Duty pickup, a truck he says was designed to "maintain Ford's leadership" in the truck segment. The other is the Ford Edge and its Lincoln counterpart, the MKX."

Are you sure about that..........if he was in charge of Canadian operations he would know that cars are hot right now in Canada and not trucks.

He should have said they are switching up the business plan...........but he cant cause hes doesnt call the shots for North America. His job is to make sure product is produced and cost effectively in Canada.
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The F series is the best selling vehicle in canada and has been for the last 4 years, truck demand in canada is still strong....

http://media.ford.com/newsroom/release_dis...m?release=25356

Ford had better truck sales this january then last
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