The decision has been made to not renew his contract, the company has been interviewing candidates since January. Internally the only two for consideration are Frick and Fields. Externally, it’s a a blend of big tech up and comers, various auto executives, and some curveball candidates.
Despite Doug’s lack of success and impact to the bottom line, there is a contingent of board members and senior execs who believe he can transform Ford and build better ties out west where many are bullish on recruiting.
Frick has proven to deliver and is relatively liked across the board. But his lack of modern tech experience and mostly marketing experience means he will need to rely on partners (internal and external) around him to lead.
We should expect the announcement within the next month.