Interview: MARK FIELDS, Ford Motor Company President of the Americas

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By Bob Andelman

My first car—and I suspect yours, too—was a Ford.

I loved that car like no other since. It was 1977 and my father saw it sitting, day after day, in front of a neighbor’s house. One day, he knocked on the day and asked if the owner was interesting in selling it. The answer was yes and the price was right: $50. No kidding.

And that’s how I became the proud owner of a black, 1963 Ford Falcon sedan. It was one of only two cars I’ve ever owned that I could actually change the oil and accomplish a few other minor maintenance tasks by myself. (The second was a ’62 Falcon!) I gave that car all the best accoutrement: green shag carpets on the floor, an 8-track player… You get the idea. I was poor, but I had wheels!

That first car has been on mind lately as many of my friends’ kids are suddenly old enough to start driving and my 13-year-old daughter is starting to think about what her first car. Maybe a Ford: the Fit is cute, she says, as is the Focus.

But enough about me. Joining me in a moment is Mark Fields, executive vice president of the Ford Motor Company and president of Ford operations in the Americas. We’re going to talk about the “Summer of Taurus” promotion, the impact of the federal “Cash for Clunkers” program and what Ford plans next to sustain its sales momentum. And yes, I’m going to ask what Ford products he recommends for the next generation’s first car.


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Interview: JOHN VIERA, Ford Motor Company, director of sustainable business strategies

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By Bob Andelman

Ford Motor Company has a vision of providing sustainable transportation that is affordable in every sense of the word: socially, environmentally and economically.

Joining me in a moment is Ford executive John Viera. Viera is all about sustainability. As director of sustainable business strategies for the American automaker, he lives and breathes sustainability and is extremely passionate about achieving it.

What you’ll also find intriguing about Viera is that he came to sustainability from his last position, in which he was a chief engineer for Ford. That means he knows as well as anyone what is and isn’t possible and where the pressure points may lie for progress.

Ford believes that its sustainability strategy will be a key component of its business going forward. By remaining economically viable, it expects to make positive contributions to society and reduce the environmental impact of its products.

Responsibility for maintaining the Ford Motor Company’s high commitment to sustainability falls in my part to my guest, John Viera.

(Bob Andelman was paid a fee by BlogTalkRadio to host this commercial program.)




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Quick Jabs: Jabil Corp. (Gulf Coast Business Review)

By: Bob Andelman | Contributing Writer

August 27, 2009

A $12.8 billion Gulf Coast technology firm is attacking the recession, on both domestic and foreign soil, through a nimble yet risk-laden approach. One gamble: It’s going full throttle into the cell phone industry. 

No doubt about it: in the grandly profitable, 37-year history of Jabil Circuit Inc., 2009 will not go down as a great year for financials.

It may, however, be the kind of year that the St. Petersburg-based technology company remembers fondly in the not so distant future.

It was not a great year by Jabil standards; it was a solid year by global recession standards.

“I think our strategy has been relatively consistent,” says Timothy Main, Jabil’s president and chief executive officer. “We’re refining a little to focus on markets we have a competitive advantage in. We’ve been focused on global electronics manufacturing and have diversified a big part of our strategy.”

Jabil (NYSE: JBL) has sought to stay ahead of bad news over which it has no control with cost cutting and what executives call “aggressive action.” Among these moves: shutting down a manufacturing facility in Massachusetts.

“At the same time,” Main says, “we’ve kept our core value properties with our customers in good shape. The core values of the company have been preserved and our financial position is in good shape. Customers see stability and Jabil stacks up” vis-à-vis its competition."

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Copyright 2008 Bob Andelman. Click here for copyright permissions!
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