The modern Ford Motor Co. has emerged, CEO Jim Farley said Wednesday as the company detailed some restructuring and said it will refresh 80% of its North American vehicle volume by 2029 as a part of its efforts to compete against new competitors like Chinese brands.
Former Apple Inc. executive Doug Field, Ford's chief EV, digital and design officer, will depart over the next month as Ford prepares to launch next year its new Universal Electric Vehicle platform.
@j4 I suppose you missed all the down votes of commenters who praised DF then. It's at about a 5 to 1 ratio of negative responses. I guess there's some passion left in the nameless masses.
Fields was brought in as a hatchet man. Cut heads was his #1 objective. And he played that part well. So after 4 years and many rounds of layoffs, he's #1 objective accomplished, he moves on millions richer.
He never could deliver product, but he always delivered on cutting as many jobs as possible.
Mission accomplished. Now he'll go wear his pink bunny slippers and enjoy life on the backs of thousands of lives he destroyed.
Post ID: @hs+1kp9czw1d
I am sure DF left on his own accord on his terms. Maybe he is moving on to a well-deserved retirement, or, moving on to a more challenging position elsewhere. He will make a positive impact wherever he goes or whatever he does.
Just read the employee comments on this next step of the Ford+ Transformation and you will see the support and admiration for what he has done at Ford in this short amount of time.
@f7 explain how $19bn loss is a success? Also FNV4 took him over 3yrs to figure out that was not going to work? Even before he was hired people saw that as a pipe dream not reality. I am sorry to tell you but he does not get a pass. He accomplished nothing. Again look at his track record. 3-5yrs then bolts. That is called a "RED FLAG"...
I watched auto line the other day they were claiming he was this charismatic person. Give me a break. He was Boring, not inspiring. Did not lead no vision, no plan. Again if he was a great as you claim then again why leave after 4yrs?
Ok then what the he-l WAS he working on then? Damn.
So management finally got tired of his cockups and gave him a few months grace so he can pretend it's his decision to leave.
Let's not forget Mache and Lightning were developed without Bunny Slippers.
@f7 Exactly what was Model e’s “success?”
Post ID: @ax+1kp9czw1d
You are dead wrong when it comes to DF and FNV4. Because it was DF's call to stop all work on FNV4 before significant funds were spent on further development when he knew it would not be successful. This is fact.
I am struggling to understand why Ford leadership and the BOD would allow DF to leave the company after all he has delivered in such a short time. He was the mastermind of the successful Model e, brought out software and tech stack to the next level, need I say creation of Skunkworks? We truly need him to lead the next-gen and true Model e products to our customers who are patiently waiting for the next level in mobility.
I can only assume DF desired to retire quietly but he wanted to reward his teams with the opportunity to see his vision through. The Ford+ Transformation Plan depends on it.
For those negative people in this forum, I challenge you to watch the official video on the homepage of this announcement which DF's accomplishments at Ford are discussed and define his legacy at the company.
I just hope Model e will continue on its successful path in light of today's events.
@dg+1kp9czw1d yeah that was weird. It almost makes you think they plan to make something other than consumer oriented SUVs and trucks. We were wondering if they were working a deal with the orange man to make things in the plants for the military in return for banning Chinese EVs.
@ch Like people have been saying for years since DF was hired. His track record speaks for itself. 3-5yrs on the job then bolts. Some of us are not surprised. But BOD/Senior management were fooled. Wall Street and the Press failed to address this RED FLAG. Glad my retirement planner does not act like that. Ford is on life support especially with the current top management who lack realistic vision or plan. Yes the same people who lost $19bn+ on pizzy dust pipe dream. Billy stay out of politics and focus on product.
Loved how the COO just kept repeating the word Industrial without ever explaining what that even means or how it's significance and his vision. Seems like an inadequate misfit, at least DF was good at articulating.
LMAO “it will refresh 80% of its North American vehicle volume by 2029”
I’d like a concrete definition of “refresh”
Seems to be another Blowhard Announcement while competent engineers laugh at the scale and audacity. Oh wait we have massive engineering technical debt because we laid the seasoned competent engineers off. Oh but that doesn’t matter as we of course need to bring in Punjabi engineers on H1B. No worries if you have doubts on their skill set, they will do the needful and succeed, just ask the COO (or his relatives working at Ford).
@cy Henry must be rolling over in his grave.
@b4 Agree. But what is sad is that this whole debacle is just Ford management think and SOP at an epic scale. It’s the classic
The only thing different is they expanded the con to the public as well the CEO’s skillset is marketing and BSing
Seriously folks “Bet the whole company on EVs”. What could go wrong?
@ch pretty sure it was Bill's call to bring Dougie Bunny Boy aboard.
Ford will flounder until the Ford family are no longer in charge. Lions won't win a Superbowl until the Fords sell the team.
The Ford family is the problem.
He was a terrible hire from the start, just look at his track record. Segway, bankruot. Model 3- couldn't scale so Elon fired him. Couldn't bring the Apple Car home. Why did JF think someone with no accomplishments could deliver FNV on ICE and EV? Any employee worth their salt knew this wouldn't work, yet had to play along. And along the way, many good employees were lost.
His AMA was scheduled for today then suddenly cancelled in the morning and this came out. Seems like he got pushed out finally for the mediocre overrated hires he made. I don't think the uev thing they keep harping about is going well.
SO and his snake oil buddies at latitude should be the next
Are JF and MJ next?
This endeavor drove Ford into the ground. So much competence lost so DF could bring in loser tech bros. If only we could rewind the clock and never split the company. Wish he was let go like so many others no goodbye, no bonus, vaporized over night.
The entire executive team has lost all credibility
He was a great guy, he made IT upgrade us from Dell to Mac :)
@ax add in U759/U760 bring canned — Dougie wasted billions of dollars
His legacy:
Making the company more toxic
Some truly awful hires and promotions
The FNV4 debacle
Bunny slippers
What else?
He’s all talk with no clear vision. It’s baffling that Ford has kept him this long.
Who is Doug Fields?
Is it this guy?
https://www.dougfields.com
I'm pretty sure there is no one at F with high seniority named Doug Fields
I guess he finally learned the definition of what a promotion is.
Where is the Field sycophant telling us the future of Ford was Dougie Pink Bunny Slippers?
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Good riddance to bad rubbish. The downfall of the company, by no coincidence, coincided with Dougie's arrival. He's flamed out everywhere he's been!
Had to chuckle at Farley's email. 5 years ago they separated the groups and made it sound revolutionary. Now they are putting them back together and again making it sound revolutionary. So much for honesty and accountability.
Bye Felicia, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
Waiting for the model E guy to post here defending all the great products coming because of him.
Farley should have been gone years ago. He is a disaster.
Real news. Watch the video. Guess now we won’t be reporting the financials separately so we can’t see the EV losses.
what a colossal disappointment of a man
HA - a little late with the April fools day joke....... Nice try
Ok. DF is leaving Ford. He cannot accomplish anything since he got hired.
Ford does not have talented employees to be innovative.
Glad; he brought a terrible cut-throat culture to Ford. I was laid off, and now he is as well. Lucky for him he doesn't have to worry about feeding his kids, if he'll be able to squeeze by another month of mortgage, if he'll be able to land interviews, etc.
https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/tesla-apple-veteran-doug-field-exits-ford-in-organizational-overhaul-0ec658c0
Fake news.