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Ford of Europe’s British boss, Lewis Booth, is to take over as Ford’s chief financial officer following the retirement of Don Leclair, effectively becoming the firm's global second-in-command.
The move also makes Booth the most highly placed Brit in the global Ford organisation and he is being tasked with the difficult job of getting the company back on a firm financial footing after punishing losses in North America.
Booth wouldn't be drawn on exactly what measures he is planning to put into place, but admitted to Autocar that it was going to be a tough job in the current climate.
Booth was chosen for the job becuase of his success at turning round Ford of Europe and Mazda; he is also known for his product knowledge and his financial ability. An insider said: "Given the state we're in, Lewis is the right man to sort it out."
“We are turning to Lewis to apply his extensive operational and financial experience to work even closer with our operating teams around the world,” said Ford boss Alan Mullaly, “as we accelerate the transition to our One Ford vision and, in the process, transforming Ford into a lean global enterprise and returning the company to sustainable profitability.”
Booth's new role also means that the current CEO of Ford of Europe and fellow Brit, John Fleming, succeeds him. This means that Fleming now also has overall responsibility of Volvo.
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