Q&A with Alan Mulally

Q: Ford is growing faster than ever in terms of new product introductions. How does Ford’s “Blueprint for Sustainability” guide this work?

A: Our One Ford plan continues to deliver. An important part of our One Ford plan is accelerating development of new products our customers want and value. We are working to serve customers in all markets with a full family of vehicles – small, medium and large cars; utilities and trucks – each delivering top quality, fuel efficiency, safety, smart design and value. In support of that goal, we are introducing 23 new or significantly refreshed vehicles in 2014, double the number of launches in 2013.

Our commitment to serving customers with fuel-efficient vehicles and addressing the critical issue of climate change are part of our Blueprint for Sustainability. One of our company’s core values is contributing to building a better world everywhere Ford operates, and our commitment to sustainability is a key part of that contribution. The Blueprint laid the foundation for our “power of choice” strategy, offering customers the power to choose a fuel-efficient vehicle that best fits their needs. We offer customers a full lineup of powertrain options, including gas, diesel, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and full battery electric vehicles. Our fuel-efficient EcoBoost® engine technology is equipped on more than 2 million Ford vehicles on the road today!

Ford is growing rapidly in emerging markets. What are some of the opportunities you see in places like China and India?

We are very excited to be growing profitably so we can better serve customers in all markets, including China and India. We had a record year in our Asia Pacific region, with wholesale volume increasing 30 percent in 2013, and 2014 is off to a strong start. Our strong global performance was led by Focus, which was the best-selling nameplate in the world in 2013. Focus was joined by Fiesta to give Ford two of the top five best-selling nameplates worldwide. To continue fulfilling our commitment to global growth we aim to boost our sales to nearly 8 million vehicles by the middle of this decade. We also are planning to make a full third of our sales in Asia and Africa by 2020.

What new product directions are you especially excited about?

We are working to serve our customers with the freshest lineup, and that commitment gives us the opportunity to continuously improve our quality, fuel efficiency, safety, smart design and value. The all-new Ford F-150 – with its use of advanced materials like high-strength steel in the frame and high-strength, military-grade aluminum alloy in the body – is a fantastic example of how we are innovating to deliver on our Blueprint for Sustainability.

What role have Ford employees played in Ford’s turnaround, and what role do they play in taking the company into the future?

We are so proud of what we have accomplished. Ford always has attracted the best and the brightest, and our progress shows the power of a skilled and motivated team working together. We remain fully committed to implementing our One Ford plan and holding ourselves and each other accountable for our expected behaviors, which include respecting, listening to, helping and appreciating one another. The future of Ford is very bright because we are building on a strong foundation.

Are you concerned that young people – the so-called millennials – are showing less interest in car ownership than previous generations?

People everywhere appreciate the freedom that comes with mobility, and that is why we are accelerating the implementation of Henry Ford’s compelling vision of opening the highways to all mankind. Part of that vision means exploring new models of transportation – including car sharing and multi-mode transportation – that might appeal more to millennials. It will take creativity to solve the challenge of global gridlock, and we are innovating to be part of the solution.