New Ford Australia boss could help bring Bronco

Ford has announced a new chief for its Australian and New Zealand operations and he could provide fresh hope for the new Ford Bronco to come Down Under.

The Blue Oval this evening confirmed Andrew Birkic will replace Kay Hart as Ford Australia and New Zealand president and CEO.

While Hart will take up a European-based global role as Enterprise Product Line Manager (EPLM), Van and Bus, Birkic is a 26-year Ford veteran who is currently Chief Product Marketer – Ranger and Everest.

Ford says Birkic “played an integral role in the global success of the Australian-developed Ford Ranger and Everest” and will report to Ford International Markets Group (IMG) president Mark Ovenden.

Given his intimate knowledge of the Ranger and Everest, which share their Australian-developed T6 platform with the new Ford Bronco, Birkic could see potential in right-hand drive production and Australian sales of the all-new off-road SUV.

The new Ford Bronco is already a smash-hit, attracting at least 150,000 US reservations since its global reveal on July 13, reportedly pushing delivery times for some customers out to mid-2022. First US deliveries are due by June 2021.

However, the born-again Bronco is yet to be officially confirmed for RHD production and Hart previously told carsales it would not be sold in Australia because of concerns it would cannibalise Ranger sales.

This is despite the fact the Ranger is a ute, not an SUV, and the leaking of a Ford document that shows the Bronco was developed specifically for North America and IMG markets – a Ford sales region that includes Australia.

The new Ford F-150 is also listed as being destined for IMG markets.

Conversely, Australia is a relatively small market on the global stage and IMG markets are not officially in line for the Puma compact SUV or Escape/Kuga medium SUV, yet both models will be launched here this year.

Nor are IMG markets listed for the Mustang Mach-E electric SUV, even though its chief engineer told carsales it would be sold in Australia.

“Andrew is a highly experienced and engaging leader who brings a wealth of insights into the evolving needs of customers,” said IMG president Ovenden.

“Andrew’s passion for bringing vehicles to market that truly serve our customers, his breadth of understanding of the local market and his global expertise will serve as a strong foundation for the continued progress of the business. I am delighted to welcome Andrew into this role.”

Birkic has held senior Ford roles in Australia, Asia and the US over the past 26 years, after starting his career in 1994 at Ford Australia, where he held a variety of leadership positions across marketing, sales and customer service.

Ford said that in his current role Birkic represents “the needs of global customers in key product decisions, ensuring the unique requirements of customers from each region are considered.

“He also has global responsibility to develop pricing, series and positioning strategies for future vehicles, working in close collaboration with the Product Development team based in Melbourne.”

Prior to his current role, Birkic spent three years in Detroit as Global Advanced Consumer Experience Platforms Manager, and two and a half years in Shanghai as Director, Dealer Development and Consumer Experience for Ford Asia Pacific.

“I am thrilled to be rejoining the fantastic team in Australia and New Zealand,” said Birkic in a press release this evening.

“I know how passionate and accomplished the team is, having spent the past two years working with the Ranger and Everest development team to grow the brands across more than 180 markets. I look forward to working closely with our team and dealers to serve our customers.”

Birkic will be responsible for Ford’s National Sales Company (NSC) in Australia and New Zealand, including marketing, sales and service, dealer relations and customer satisfaction.

Meantime, reporting to EPLM vice-president Jim Baumbick, Hart will be responsible for Ford’s Van and Bus product lines, as well as implementing Ford’s commercial vehicle alliance with Volkswagen Group.

“Kay’s contribution to our business in Australia and New Zealand over the past two years has been outstanding, from delivering Ranger’s overall 4x4 leadership in Australia, to further strengthening our focus on customer satisfaction,” said Ovenden. “We congratulate Kay as she transitions to her new global role.”

Hart, who replaced Graeme Whickman as Ford Australia chief in July 2018, will add the UK to the list of countries in which she’s worked for Ford over 21 years, including New Zealand, Thailand, China, the Philippines and the US.

“I’ve loved my time in Australia and New Zealand,” said Hart. “I am proud of our commitment to Australia, and the work of our 2500-strong team who design and engineer world-class vehicles like the Ranger and Everest and look forward to following their progress in my new role.”