Marketing chief's exit doesn't change plan, says Ford

Ford Australia says the departure of one of the key architects of its ‘transformation’ from manufacturer to importer does not signal any change in direction for the company.

That was the message from new Ford Australia president Graeme Whickman yesterday, when he met with automotive media for the first time since assuming the top job on April 1.

Last week ended the 25-year career at Ford of David Katic. The company’s general manager of marketing was confirmed earlier this month to be leaving to “pursue other opportunities”.

Katic has been the main public voice explaining Ford’s massive change in direction that will see it end local production no later than October 2016 and kill off the Falcon.

He has been instrumental in the decision to reallocate marketing funds away from traditional activities such as V8 Supercars racing into developing a better ‘customer experience’.

With former Ford Australia president Bob Graziano retiring very much from the public spotlight in the months before his departure, he has also been the primary voice insisting the company is on-track in the face of some of its worst sales results since the early 1960s.

He recently spoke to motoring.com.au about Ford’s sales results and its shift from a fleet-driven sales strategy to V8 Supercars racing into developing a better 'customer experience'.

“The plan isn’t changing, the strategy isn’t changing,” Whickman said yesterday.

“It hasn’t changed because I sat in a different chair before April than I sat in after April 1. It’s just not changing.

“I’d like to accelerate a few things,” he revealed. “I would also like to work on a few things on the way through more about the how not the what. That’s more about the teamwork, more about making sure that we are honest with each other, more about what I call cultural change in the organisation. But nothing to do with David.”

Whickman made it clear Katic chose to leave the company rather than being pushed: “You have got to remember that David and I have been working together for the last year and a bit, so there’s no suddenly Graeme takes a different chair and Graeme has a different opinion.”

Whickman, who rose from the position of vice-president of marketing, sales and service to take over the Ford Australia presidency, revealed a new marketing director was in place at the company.

According to the company’s media information site, the new marketing director is Lew Echlin, an American.

“He has been hand-picked on the basis of what sits in front of us; the plan we have put in place, the heavy lifting that needs to be done. He has been hand-picked to come and help with that.

“As part of the plan we have got a person who I strongly believe in and he is coming here to do the job.”