Directorate Change

Ford Motor Co
9 December 2004
 

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SCHEELE, GILMOUR TO RETIRE FROM FORD

•    COO Padilla to become company president and Board member 
•    CFO Leclair appointed executive vice president 

DEARBORN, Mich., Dec 9, 2004 - Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) today announced the
retirement plans of President Nick Scheele and Vice Chairman Allan Gilmour, two
company veterans who played instrumental leadership roles during the first three
years of Chairman Bill Ford's tenure as chief executive officer. In a separate
announcement also issued today, the Company said Chief Operating Officer Jim
Padilla will become Ford president and has been elected to become a member of
the Board of Directors, effective February 1, 2005. Also, Chief Financial
Officer Don Leclair has been named an executive vice president and will have
additional duties. 

Scheele, 60, a 38-year veteran of the Company, will retire as President and as a
director of the Board on February 1. Most recently, he was a chief architect of
the 'Back to Basics' strategy the Company launched in 2001 when Chairman Bill
Ford became CEO and asked him to lead the Company's turnaround effort. Scheele
returned to North America after a successful run as the head of the Company's
Ford of Europe operations. 

'When I became chief executive officer three years ago, I turned to trusted Ford
veterans, such as Nick, to help us address a host of difficult operating issues,
and to steer this company back to the basics of our business,' Ford said. 'Not
only did Nick help us overcome many of our challenges, he mended relationships
with our dealers, our suppliers and our employees, and he helped set the stage
for a new generation of leaders that now is turning its focus to making Ford the
most competitive global automaker it can be.' 

Reflecting on his retirement plans, Scheele said: 'It has been both a privilege
and a rewarding experience to have played the role that I have played over my
many years with the Company. I'm grateful for the trust Bill Ford and the Board
of Directors placed in me, for the employees who gave so much of themselves, and
for what I was able to deliver. As I look forward, I do so confidently, knowing
that the Ford Motor Company is being led by people capable of achieving great
things, and who have this company's long- term interests at heart.' 

Gilmour, 70, is planning his second retirement from Ford after re-joining the
Company in 2002 to become its vice chairman, and its chief financial officer
through July, 2003. Gilmour will retire, effective February 1, and will begin
transitioning his duties on January 1, 2005. During his first tenure with the
Company, Gilmour served 34 years, holding numerous leadership roles such as
president, Ford Automotive Group and chief financial officer of the Company. 

'Throughout the course of my career, Allan has been a valued source of wisdom
and counsel,' Ford said. 'So it was only natural that two years ago I would turn
to him at a time when we sorely needed to restore the Company's credibility in
the financial markets. Since then, Allan has strengthened our finance
organization, provided valuable leadership on many policy, personnel and
strategy issues, and served as a respected ambassador within our industry. For
this and more, I will be indebted to Allan for his loyalty, his sacrifice, and
his generosity.' 

Added Gilmour: 'Bill's request to come back from retirement and to join his team
was one I could have never turned down, and one that turned out to be satisfying
beyond my expectations. Of course, there's more work to be done, and I have
great confidence in Bill and in the leadership team he has built for the future.
I leave Ford with the tremendous satisfaction that I'm leaving behind a stronger
company than I found two years ago.' 

As a result of today's announcements, Bill Ford adds three direct reports,
effective January 1, 2005. They are Joe Laymon, 52, group vice president,
Corporate Human Resources and Labor Affairs; CFO and EVP Leclair, 52; and Ziad
Ojakli, 37, group vice president, Corporate Affairs. 

Ford's other direct reports include Padilla, 58; Charlie Holleran, 59, vice
president and chief communications officer; Dennis Ross, 53, vice president and
general counsel; and Jim Vella, 48, vice president and chief of staff. 

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn,
Mich., manufactures and distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six
continents. With more than 327,000 employees and 110 manufacturing facilities
worldwide, the company's core and affiliated automotive brands include Aston
Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. Its
automotive-related services include Ford Credit, Quality Care and Hertz
Corporation. 
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