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Automotive Industry

Get Off Jac's Back

Automotive Industries, August, 2001 by Andrew Cummins

I first met Jacques Nasser back in 1995 when I was asked to write his famous Montreal speech to suppliers. It was those remarks that set the wheels in motion to eventually reduce the OEM supplier ranks by hundreds and cause a chain reaction of mergers, acquisitions and consolidations never before seen in this industry.

I remember the first time Jacques walked into our product development communications meeting -- the respect shown by everyone in the room was awesome, and well deserved. However, now it appears that the luster is beginning to tarnidsh, and Jacques is taking all the heat for Ford Motor Co.'s problems.

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It's not his fault. Ford's a big company; there are a lot of people making decisions, and one man can't be involved in every one of them. So why is Jacques being singled out by the media, the government and the competition as Ford's bad boy?

I think a lot of it is professional jealousy. He's young (younger than me), he's tireless, he's intelligent and he's made tremendous contributions to Ford's product line-up, its global expansion and its strategic acquisition strategy. He's built a superb team of executives -- not the least of which is my good friend Kathleen Ligocki (VP of Canada, Mexico and North American strategy) -- and implemented an extensive plan, the European Transformation Strategy, to turn around Ford's once very profitable overseas operations.

Jacques' vision to put a computer in the hands of every Ford Motor Co. employee was a stroke of genius -- I wish I'd thought of it. His "Boost America" initiative to raise the awareness of the need for child booster seats as well as providing low-cost and free seats to needy families shows a real concern for his future customers.

He's taken tremendous heat for the Firestone catastrophe, and in many eyes shouldered the blame. He's currently under attack for age discrimination and has the AARP breathing down his neck. Ford has had a lot of negative press over the past several months and Jacques Nasser has shouldered the responsibility, making it his own personal crusade to defend the fortress and keep the hounds at bay.

Personally, I don't know how he holds up under the pressure. I don't know many people who are capable of carrying such a burden without succumbing to the pressures.

If he's your champion, he'll help you move mountains; if you're his enemy, he'll bury you under one. He's powerful, tireless, relentless and strong. He's a leader for today with few peers in the global industrial complex, and Ford should be proud to have him.

Between Jacques' tenure at Ford of Europe and his term in the "Glass House," he has spearheaded the acquisitions of Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo, all of which are key brands in their market segment. I, by the way, happen to be Jaguar's biggest fan -- I can't afford one, but I sure love to drive 'em.

He has implemented a consumer driven Six-Sigma program, initiated the development of the Jaguar X-Type (great car) to compete in the entry-level luxury market, going toe-to-toe with Mercedes, BMW and Audi, and he pushed to introduce the Escape and make it the top seller in its class.

Granted, he had a lot of help in these projects. But they all wear his brand and prosper under his leadership. Ford is a world-class organization with a lot of people dependent upon its success. Those who wish to tarnish the image and reputation of its leader are hurting everybody. I'm proud to have worked with Jacques Nasser and to have witnessed his dynamics in action. Those closest to him admire him immensely; some fear him, but all respect him.

If you don't agree with me, you don't know Jac.

What do you think? E-mail me at acummins@randallpub.com.

Andrew Cummins is Publisher of Automotive Industries.

Automotive Industry

Get Off Jac's Back

Automotive Industries, August, 2001 by Andrew Cummins

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