While the "Ford China 2.0" business transformation plan has achieved initial results, Ford China has also ushered in another high-level personnel change. On February 24th, Ford China announced that President and CEO Chen Anning had decided to retire. Wu Shengbo, the current managing director and chief operating officer of Ford China, will officially take over the post of President and CEO of Ford China from March 1. Jim Farley reports.
Chen Anning retired after his success.
As an executive who has worked in Ford for more than 20 years, 62-year-old Chen Anning joined the global headquarters of Ford Motor Company as early as 1993. He joined Chery in 2009, then served as the chairman of Chery Jaguar Land Rover, led the construction of Chery Shanghai Technology Center (CTCS), and finally served as the general manager of Chery Automobile.
In 20 18, when Ford Motor Company changed its CEO seven times in eight years in China, faced with problems such as insufficient product localization and lack of brand communication, Chen Anning officially returned and became the first China executive to become the global vice president of Ford Motor Company. At the same time, Ford headquarters began to re-examine the development of China market business, and independent operation became its main direction.
Taking Ford's business in China, which is juxtaposed with North America, as its core business unit, also means that Chen Anning can let go of its hands and feet and give Ford new meaning from the perspective of American consumers, so that Ford can truly realize its vision of "more Fords, more China".
Since then, Ford has launched a series of new products in China, including Sharp, New Mondeo and New Explorer. Through the "330 product plan", Ford's basic business in China has been stabilized, and through a series of adjustments in the management structure, the overall business has been rapidly recovered, laying a solid foundation for the fuel vehicle business to turn losses into profits.
In terms of luxury brands, Chen Anning actively promoted the localization of Lincoln brand. After rapid development in recent years, Lincoln brand has achieved initial results, and four domestic models listed within three years have been favored by users in China.
For example, the "sales first" adventurer became the first Lincoln brand model with cumulative sales exceeding100000, and ranked first in monthly sales of Lincoln China bicycles for 32 consecutive months. The brand-new Lincoln Z, which went on the market last year, redefines the future experience scene of "Zhixing" for China users with innovative new design and imaginative intelligent technology.
In addition to rapidly expanding the product lineup and luxury brand layout, with Chen Anning's efforts, Ford and China partners such as Changan and Jiangling have opened a new chapter in future development by comprehensively deepening strategic cooperation, successfully introducing a new generation of Ford star products such as Raptor, and helping Ford Ling Rui, Transit and other models to export overseas, making China's "intelligent creation" attract world attention.
At present, a series of departments such as Ford China Design Center, Innovation Center and Product Center have been set up one after another to meet the demand of China market, which not only brought products leading the global trend, but also laid a solid foundation for Ford China in the subsequent market competition. In addition, Ford China has actively expanded the coverage of vehicle-road collaboration technology, becoming the largest and most extensive automobile enterprise in China at present.
It can be said that in the four years since Chen Anning returned to Ford, Ford China team has formed its own strength in digital technology, further optimized the cost structure and strengthened the relationship with partners. In this regard, Jim, President and CEO of Ford Motor Company? Farley also spoke highly: "When the COVID-19 epidemic brought challenges to China's economy and people's lives in the past three years, Chen Anning also led the team to do its best to provide protection and support for our customers, employees and distributors."
It is understood that after leaving Ford China, Chen Anning will participate in projects related to improving the company's global strategic competitiveness and business growth, and continue to work for Jim? Farley, report. He will officially retire in June this year 10, thus ending his accumulated career in Ford Motor Company for more than 20 years.
"I am honored to lead the business of Ford China, and I am proud of the progress made in the business transformation of the company in China." Chen Anning said, "It's time to hand over this important task to Mr. Wu Shengbo. I wish him to continue to lead the team to create more value for customers and business partners."
Wu Shengbo's new interest is seeking novelty.
Through Chen Anning's efforts, today's Ford China has taken root in the China market and accumulated richer background and experience. As a successor, Wu Shengbo, who joined Ford China on June 5438+ 10 last year, will also face new challenges brought by Ford's transformation to electrification and intelligence.
According to the data, Wu Shengbo, a former president of Whirlpool Asia Pacific and a member of the global executive committee, president and CEO of OSRAM Asia Pacific, vice president of Honeywell Process Control Department and general manager of Greater China, became the managing director and chief operating officer of Ford China in June+10, 5438, in charge of engineering, manufacturing, quality and procurement, and managed the commercial vehicle department of Ford China. His joining can also be regarded as one of Ford's important measures to strengthen the construction of supply chain system in China.
Compared with Chen Anning's rich leadership experience in the automobile circle, Wu Shengbo did not have much experience in the automobile industry before joining Ford. However, in the era of electrification and intelligence, Wu Shengbo's rich cross-industry management experience is also a valuable "wealth" to accelerate the revitalization of Ford's China business.
As one of the most successful car companies in the world, Ford has undoubtedly demonstrated its unique new thinking on future travel. By establishing two independent and interdependent electric vehicle business units, Ford Model e and Ford Blue, the future development direction is pointed out.
For the China market, the establishment of Ford Electric Mach Technology Co., Ltd. in September last year undoubtedly opened a new chapter for the rapid development of Ford's electrification and intelligence in China.
Ford Electric Mach Technology Co., Ltd., as the first independent entity established by a foreign automobile brand in China market, focusing on R&D and operation of smart electric vehicles, is also the strategic extension and key layout of Ford Model e business unit in China, which fully demonstrates Ford's determination to accelerate the development of electric vehicle business in China.
"Strategically speaking, China is now the center of the global automobile electrification revolution and will continue to lead the future development. Ford deeply understands and actively participates in the competition in the electric vehicle market in China, especially providing customers with innovative and interconnected smart electric vehicles, which will help to further establish Ford's leading edge in the global electric vehicle market. " Jim. Farley said.
It can be said that Ford has been deeply involved in the China market for more than 20 years and has become a witness and beneficiary of the rapid growth and development of the China market. At the same time, as the largest automobile market in the world, it is also the market with the highest degree of new modernization and the fiercest competition in the industry. China users' diversified demands for electrification and intelligence of automobiles are also ahead of other parts of the world.
At present, under the empowerment of "Ford China 2.0" business transformation plan, Ford China has accumulated rich experience and achievements in the fields of electrification, intelligence and comprehensive upgrade of customer experience, and gradually feeds back the global market. It can be predicted that the development of Ford brand in China will be further promoted under the underlying logic of "user-centered". I believe that under the leadership of Wu Shengbo, Ford China will continue to bring full-time and all-round new experiences to China users with a more pragmatic attitude and innovative attitude.
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