SHANGHAI, Oct 27, 2010 -- Ford Motor Company today announced a series of appointments that will help it continue to expand its operations in its Asia Pacific and Africa region.
Jeffrey Shen, president of Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Co. Ltd (CFMA), a joint venture among Ford Motor Co., Mazda Motor Corp. and Changan Automobile Co., has elected to retire, effective Dec. 31. Shen joined Ford Lio Ho Motor Co. in Taiwan in 1980, later becoming its president, and has overseen the expansion of CFMA, based in Chongqing, since January 2007.
Marin Burela has been elected by the board of CFMA to succeed Shen as president and will be responsible for overseeing the joint-venture's continued expansion, which currently includes construction of its third assembly plant and preparations for a second engine plant, both located in Chongqing, China. His appointment is effective Nov. 1.
In his role as president and CEO of Ford Australia and New Zealand, Burela oversaw profitable growth through significant efforts in improving manufacturing, sales and marketing. Prior to his role in Australia, he held a series of senior positions in North America and Europe, including global small car vehicle line director, leading the development of Ford's small car product portfolio, including the new global Ford Fiesta.
Robert Graziano will succeed Burela as president and CEO of Ford Australia and New Zealand, leading the continued expansion of Ford's model lineup in Australia and the market launch of the all new Ford Ranger pickup truck, one of the most important new products of the global One Ford plan. His appointment is effective Nov. 1.
Prior to his current role as chairman and CEO of Ford China, Graziano held a series of leadership positions in the Americas, Asia and Africa. He developed Ford China's expansion plans, overseeing investments of $1.3 billion during the past 12 months alone, while expanding the dealer network and achieving record growth in sales volume and profits. Under his direction, Ford China has become recognized for its leadership in environmental sustainability.
"We thank Jeffrey for his years of service and wish him the best in his retirement," said Joe Hinrichs, president of Ford's Asia Pacific and Africa region, which is headquartered in Shanghai, together with Ford China.
"As we continue to realize our aggressive growth plans in Asia Pacific and Africa, we are very fortunate to have a deep bench of talented executives whose exceptional strengths and experiences we can draw on as we grow our operations in this important and diverse region.
Bob and Marin are excellent leaders who have unique skill-sets well-suited for the future requirements in Australia and at our joint venture in China. We are proud to foster a culture of continuous improvement that provides opportunities for new and interesting challenges to help our managers grow and develop at every level."
Reflecting the importance of Ford's expansion in the world's largest automotive market and the continued integration of its regional and China operations, Hinrichs will assume additional responsibilities as chairman and CEO of Ford China, effective Nov. 1.
Ford expects 70 percent of its growth in the next 10 years to come from its Asia Pacific and Africa region, with a majority coming from China.
Ford's Asia Pacific and Africa region encompasses markets on three continents, including Australia, China, India, Thailand and South Africa. Industry sales in the region are expected to increase from 16 million units in 2009, to an estimated 35 million units by 2018.
Ford has invested US $4 billion since 2006 in the region and employs more than 25,000 people here.
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