Directorate Change

Ford Motor Co
20 May 2002



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FORD STRENGTHENS LEADERSHIP TEAM
• Allan Gilmour Appointed Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer
• Martin Inglis Appointed Group Vice President of Business Strategy
• David Thursfield Appointed Group Vice President of International Operations
  and Global Purchasing
 

DEARBORN, Mich., May 20 - Ford Motor Company announced today that Allan Gilmour,
former vice chairman of Ford Motor Company, will rejoin the automaker as vice
chairman and chief financial officer effective immediately. This move is one of
a series of management changes designed to strengthen the financial and
operational leadership of the company.
 
Martin Inglis, former group vice president and chief financial officer, is
appointed group vice president of Business Strategy, effective immediately.
Inglis has responsibility for business strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and
Hertz.

Also announced today, David Thursfield, currently Ford Motor Company group vice
president and chairman, president and chief executive officer of Ford of Europe,
becomes group vice president of International Operations and Global Purchasing,
effective Aug. 1. He succeeds Carlos Mazzorin who becomes Senior Advisor to the
Office of the Chairman and Chief Executive (OCCE).

Thursfield continues his role as chairman and chief executive officer, Ford of
Europe. Ford of Europe, Global Purchasing, South American Operations and Asia
Pacific Operations now will report to him.

Martin Leach is appointed president and chief operating officer, Ford of Europe.
Derrick Kuzak has been elected a Ford Motor Company vice president and will
succeed Leach as vice president of Product Development, Ford of Europe.  These
appointments also are effective Aug. 1.

'The management changes announced today strengthen our company in several key
areas by making the best use of the individual talent available to us,' said
Bill Ford, chairman and chief executive officer. 'As demanding and complicated
as our business is, you can never have too much talent, especially when it is
focused on a common goal and is working together as our team is.

'Allan Gilmour brings a wealth of knowledge to our financial analysis and
reporting functions. He served us before during hard times and has the critical
knowledge needed to help us implement our revitalization plan. This, in turn,
frees up Martin Inglis, who played a key role in developing the revitalization
plan and our highly successful convertible preferred securities offering, to
help the company look beyond the current business realities and plan for the
future.'

'There is no business in the world more exciting and challenging than the
automotive business,' said Gilmour. 'And there is no company that I would rather
be a part of than Ford Motor Company. I look forward to my new role and to
helping Bill, Nick (Scheele) and Carl (Reichardt) make the revitalization plan
and the company a great success.'

'On the operations front, David Thursfield has proven his ability to execute
time and time again,' said Bill Ford. 'You only have to look at the success of
the European Turnaround Strategy to understand the value he brings to this new
role. And that success will continue. Martin Leach and Derrick Kuzak will
further the momentum in Europe with David overseeing their efforts in his new
role.

'Carlos Mazzorin has extensive experience in global operations and purchasing.
This role will allow us to tap into that invaluable knowledge base to assist the
OCCE with implementation of the Ford Revitalization Plan.'

Gilmour retired from the company in 1995 after serving as vice chairman and as a
member of the Office of the Chief Executive and the company's Board of
Directors. He also held positions as president of the Ford Automotive Group,
chief financial officer, controller, and president of Ford Motor Credit Company
during his 34-year career. Currently, Gilmour owns a Ford and Chrysler
dealership and serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Prudential
Financial, DTE Energy, Whirlpool Corporation and Dow Chemical.

Inglis was named group vice president and chief financial officer Aug. 1, 2001.
Previously, he was vice president, Ford North America. Inglis joined the company
in 1971 as a graduate trainee and has held many positions since, including
director of Finance for Car Product Development, director of International
Automotive Business Strategy and Latin American Automotive Operations, executive
director of Product Strategy Office for Product Development, and vice president
of Product and Business Strategy. Inglis holds a bachelors degree in business
economics from Strathclyde University in Glasgow, Scotland.

Thursfield was previously chairman, president and chief executive officer of
Ford of Europe, a position he assumed Aug. 1, 2001. He was appointed a group
vice president on Nov. 7, 2001. Prior to this, he held positions as vice
president, Vehicle Operations for both Ford Automotive Operations in North
America and Australia, and in Germany for Ford's European and South American
operations. Thursfield joined Ford in 1979 as plant manager of the Broadmeadows
Car Assembly Plant in Australia. He has degrees in product engineering and
industrial psychology from Aston University in Birmingham, England and Brunei
University in London respectively.

Mazzorin was previously group vice president of Asia Pacific Operations, South
American Operations and Global Purchasing, a position he assumed in November
2001. Prior to that, Mazzorin was group vice president of South American
Operations and Global Purchasing.

During his 30-year career, Mazzorin has held a variety of positions in
purchasing and procurement, including executive director of Production
Purchasing for North American Automotive Operations, vice president of
Production Purchasing and vice president of Purchasing. Mazzorin joined the
company in 1972 as a procurement planning analyst. He has a bachelor of science
and master of business administration degree from the University of Buenos
Aires.

                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange