Ford Replaces Ex-President Nair With Former Lincoln VP
Kumar Galhotra was a key figure in Lincoln’s incredible turnaround from defunct to profitable.
Ford Motor Company has announced key changes to its senior management team, as president and CEO Jim Hackett attempts to steer the century-old company into the future. The most important of the management changes involves Kumar Galhotra, who replaces Raj Nair following his excommunication from the company due to inappropriate behavior.
Galhotra is a 29-year veteran of the company, but has spent the last four years at the Blue Oval revitalizing the Lincoln Motor Company as its vice president and chief marketing officer. Under his leadership, the luxury brand has released the Lincoln Continental sedan and broken sales records with the all-new Navigator. Galhotra has also served the company in engineering and product strategy departments around the world.
“We are very fortunate to have an experienced and committed executive team in place driving every day to significantly strengthen our business while building toward our vision of becoming the world’s most trusted mobility company, designing smart vehicles for a smart world,” Ford's President and CEO Jim Hackett said in a statement.
It's unclear whether Ford will ever release the exact actions that led to Nair's firing, but the clever executive who also had a deep passion for Ford's motorsport involvement will leave some big shoes to fill. After all, it was his constant drive for product innovation that signed off on the Ford GT supercar and its various racing programs.
Other management changes include former president and CEO of Ford Motor Credit Company Joy Falotico who will replace Galhotra at Lincoln, while David McClelland will take Falotico's chair at the helm of the Blue Oval's financing arm.
