Thread regarding Ford layoffs

Farley is a marketing guy, and it shows through the sheer volume of happy news press releases when, in fact, the company is failing on all cylinders. Farley can lead Pheobe to print his praises in the Free Ford Press, but he is showing us that he is simply not capable of leading a manufacturer of quality vehicles.

From the autoextremist.com
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The news that Hau Thai-Ta-g is leaving Ford on October 1 is a blow to the True Believers in the company and a sign that things are not going well in Dearborn. A gifted product and purchasing specialist - his official title is "chief industrial platforms officer" - Hau is brilliant in every sense of the word, and the fact that he's choosing to leave Ford at this juncture speaks volumes. Hau was involved in every significant Ford product of the last decade, and his talent is recognized throughout the company and the industry. What is his departure really saying? That Hau is taking a much-deserved break after 34 years? Maybe. But a more accurate assessment is that Ford's "I'm a genius, just ask me" CEO is running roughshod - and amuck - at the top of the company, and the "savior clock" within Ford has started ticking on his tenure. Bill Ford stumbled into creating a cottage industry of "saviors" at Ford, the most successful being Alan Mulally, who was the right guy at the right team to lead the company out of the wilderness. It was also the right call at the right time for Bill Ford, who realized that he couldn't lead the company through one of its most difficult periods. He deserved kudos for that decision, but since those halcyon days, it hasn't gone as well as hoped, needless to say. Ford's tradition of launching excellent products and then having to fix or relaunch them over and over again has been a hallmark of the company for decades now. And under the current CEO's tenure, it has gotten worse. The litany of Ford's current problems? Botched launches of the Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator; Bronco tops having to be replaced; Broncos subject to "catastrophic" engine failures; Mustang Mach-Es losing power without warning; Expedition and Navigator fires, to name just a few of the issues. And Ford issued a recall of 2.9 million vehicles in June for vehicles that can roll away when parked. These aren't isolated instances at Ford; they have become an unfortunate part of the culture of the company. The current CEO put his stake in the ground upon his elevation to that title saying that the recalls would stop because the cost of warranty repairs was ki----g the company. Well, guess what? The recalls and product issues have, in fact, accelerated. The PR offensive created around this CEO has been prodigious, and as I said before, I fully expect a photo-op to be announced at any moment that would feature him walking on water, such is the gushing praise constantly boosting his aura. But the reality is something different altogether. Ford PR minions loyal to the current CEO say that he inherited problems from Joe Hinrichs and Mark Fields, and that there's not much he can do about that. But that's unmitigated bu-----t. Bill Ford hitched his company's fortunes to a "savior" who I personally warned him was not the guy. I even suggested to him that Hau Thai-Ta-g would be a better and much stronger choice for CEO. Now, Bill Ford has a problem. His latest "savior" is big on vision and gathering PR points from the lapdogs in the automotive media and certain dupes on Wall Street, but beyond that the faint whiffs of the "Emperor's New Clothes" are starting to waft over the Glass House. I will reiterate that Bill Ford's "savior clock" is starting to tick loudly, and that what's going on now is simply not sustainable. Talk about a giant bowl of Not Good. -PMD
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The decision to ki-l the Fusion was the right one. We were losing thousands of dollars on every one we built. If you can't make money building them in Mexico, then where can you? China maybe? Not sure why we couldn't continue to build the Lincoln version though that we charged big bucks for. The ugly truth is people didn't want our cars. They wanted Japanese or Korean competitors.

Hinrichs was forced out because he was a foul up who bungled the Explorer/Aviator and F-150 launches. He also was in command with the whole MyFordTouch fiasco that damaged our company's quality ratings for 3-4 years. We deliberately shipped dysfunctional Sync software because there was no other option. Hinrichs told me personally, "There was no Plan B." He wasn't the guy who made the decision to take Sync development back from Microsoft and send it to a bunch of clueless Indian firms, but he was at the top and certainly approved it. The buck stopped there, and we didn't lose anything with him being gone.
By contrast, Marcy Klevorn was excellent, and was one of the smartest execs I've ever met. Her successor was a toady who drank the Kool Aid being doled out by Hackett. (and yes, I have met all three execs).

When I watched the Sandy Munro videos where he dismantled the various EV vehicles I understood just how bad the Ford EV design is. I am an engineer, not an automotive engineer, but the same truism applies to all design and engineering. The simple elegant design always is done by the skilled competent engineer. The rat’s nest design is always the result of a marginally competent engineer.
For the non-engineers it is the same as how a craftsman makes their craft look effortless, yet when you first attempt the craft you create a hot mess.

The software design is just as bad as the physical design. You shake your head and rip out thousands of lines of meandering spaghetti and replace it with 10 lines of effective code, all while dodging the slings and arrows of developers defending all their worthless code and the years to develop the steaming stinking pile of code.

@3bze+1hIFSs5K Yes, the future of Ford is rushing out sub-par EVs like the Mach-E and Lightning that are behind the competition in range from day 1, not to mention their quality issues. It’s a great strategy.

You don't work in Model e, do you? If you work in Ford Blue or the other support groups I can see how others do not have a positive outlook for the transformative future of Ford. Have you looked into openings in Model e? This is where Ford is going longterm.

Our recent and more modern leadership certainly has visions.

I think this retirement will be a positive for Ford's company transformation.

Retaining older Ford employees in leadership positions are definitely delaying the company direction and the visionary plans our recent and more modern leadership has.

If I recall the E-Roll people work to a yearly contract. I suspect they board or BF or JF did not offer to renewal. Hau does have 34 years in, but he is only 54/55 years old. So, you have to wander was he forced out? As for his track record. I rate him as a sub-par VP.
More political than a visionary. Man, never changed anything. Went with the flow versus
trying to change things for the better. Complexity is a great example. Funny how he always blamed everyone. Like the GSRs & LL6s have a say in complexity.
Sorry but Our bench has been weak since the mid 90s. Launches after 2000CY have been very very poor. Now they will pick someone who has never been at a job for more than two years. So, they do not understand a program from start to finish.

So many of his lieutenants need the boot as well. Should start with the aggrandized Purchasing team whose performance has been overlooked and underwhelming.

Soo many bill ford lovers commenting against Hou.
Ford your going down hard just like the food supply, and the demon crats in DC.

HTT’s focus was on making sure you knew he was smartest person in the room.

He did not fit with the new team. Expect anyone tied to him will go the same route. I find it funny how people are saying “oh no.” Please… just another talking head. His last impact was to require FTEPs while the Bronco launch was a disaster. He also played a hand in the Explorer launch. At least Raj Nair got to have a party on a private plane before being exited, had he not done that I would suspect both of them would be out regardless. We are not losing anything.

@1cqa+1hIFSs5K Cute. Who taught you to use slang ? “Good For You” too.

Its very simple. Farley needed a scapegoat for the ongoing recall crisis. HTT fit the bill perfectly. Now he can tell Wall Street that he "did something" by tossing an experienced, high-level executive instead of, you know, actually addressing the problem. It's a lot easier for Farley and Truby to blow some smoke and tout the newest guy from Silicon Valley they threw a bunch of money at.

HTT is a sharp guy. I could sense though the past year he seemed forced to pledge the Bill Ford agenda which I don't think he was aligned to.

Bill Ford runs the show and the show is woke.

Seems posts are disappearing so.....

Hey @1gbe+1hIFSs5K, GFY.

@1bxd+1hIFSs5K You’re out of touch. We don’t really need you to reach us anything. Don’t let the door hit you on your way out.

I love all the phony platitudes about Hau from Jimmy Recall despite it being beyond obvious that Hau was fired. At least have the b*lls to own your decision. Jimmy Recall won’t do that because it won’t play well on Twitter or in the podcast.

The fall begins. Get off the sinking ship while you can.

Hey just bring back hacket cause he was so much a visionary.

@1gad+1hIFSs5K - You newbies think you know it all - I no longer share anything with anyone with < 15 years in. Teach us now fool - You're the new SME aren't you ?

One can’t help but notice, no current employees get promoted to executive ranks, all new executives come from Amazon or Apple. Your career at Ford ends with your current level, you will never be an executive here.

Everything will now fall in place... Hau's worker Bees are now without a queen. Many a career and rise to the top have been scuttled because ones sponsor left the game.

You could go far at Ford if you worked hard and had somebody plowing the way. Some supervisors and managers pulled their people along with them. It is not a guy thing either.. the gals in management were probably better at it then the guys.

Sure some good folks got passed up but you gotta have a sponsor...

I wish him well...god knows what he gave up personally to rise to the level he did.

Your leader is busy with fontinalis partners …look it up

Yup, just like Hinrichs, Klevorn, and others - not retiring, being pushed out because they cut their chops under others and would not play under the rules Chris Farley’s cousin set up…..so Hua had to go. He may not be missed by some, but people like all the upper levels the last 4 years being pushed out, their absence will be felt on the corporate bottom line because they knew what they were doing and knew how to get things done within Ford. The outsiders being brought in have no clue, and will make the incumbent L3 and L4’s dig their heels in even more to bring any meaningful change ground to a halt.

Just tragic all the mistakes being made now - it seems as if Ford will not see the next ten years much less another 100 years.

Yikes. I didn't agree with HTT on everything he was doing but he was among the best in current leadership. That's an admittedly low bar.

We are twinseys ….me too gone on oct1. But Hau has a little bigger parachute than me. Probably gets a couple cars for life. Has hinrichs and fields on speed dial. He will be scooped up by someone.

Everyone knows this isn't his decision. HTT had the Purchasing Team capturing all the resourced cost down components savings. How many recalls? But you got your bonus last year.

Hi.. yes we can’t compete in mid size cars…they are not selling well..I know…let’s get rid of the fusion…bad idea…how’s that working for you…

Hau had no clue, he never was a technical leader, he won't be missed.

What if this is all meant to gut the company for a merger of equals with VW?

@OP you got that right! The writing was on the wall when Farley moved Hau to his current position, he was being pushed out and would be asked to retire.

I am quite sure this is just the first of a series of leadership changes.