Ford Australia announces new President
Ex-pat Aussie Marin Burela is returning here to head up Ford's local operationFord Australia announced this morning that its new President and CEO is Marin Burela, Ford of Europe's incumbent Executive Director, Global Small Cars.
Whether by coincidence or not, Burela was an active participant in the recent Ford-sponsored jaunt to Europe, where the Carsales Network sampled both the new Fiesta (more here) and the Kuga (more here).
Burela appears to be an excellent choice for the position, on the basis of his Australian background and his up-to-date expertise in the area of small car sales. Along with new sales & marketing director, Beth Donovan, his appointment places Ford fairly and squarely in the 'small-car sales take precedence' camp.
From his presentation in Belgium to journalists from around the world, it's apparent that Burela is committed to a 'global' Ford and will have some insight as to where Ford Australia will fit within the new order, having already trialled a global integration process for the Fiesta in Europe. That process is dependent on a big-picture design that can be tweaked to suit different regional tastes and needs.
"When you go to the US, you'll see the [new Fiesta] in the US -- the same elements, tuned for the American consumer. In Australia... the same elements, tuned for that region," he said during his presentation to the international press earlier this month.
"People are people, everywhere you go around the world. Aspirations are no different. You know what? We can deliver a car that's 70 to 80 per cent common around the world -- and it will be a winner if we get the fundamentals right."
Burela joined Ford Australia in 1984 as an engineering graduate and has worked for Ford as far afield as Asia, Europe and North America, in sales & marketing, manufacturing and product development roles. For a time, he oversaw group manufacturing operations at Land Rover and has served on the board of both Land Rover and Jaguar.
He is due to start in the new role October 1, replacing Bill Osborne (more here).
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