Ford Motor Company announced a realignment of the Canada and South America organizations, and has named Dominic DiMarco executive director, Canada and South America.
Concurrent with this change, Barry Engle becomes president, Ford Mercosur and Ford Brazil. He will report to DiMarco. The changes are effective immediately.
Louise Goeser remains president, Ford of Mexico, and like DiMarco will continue to report to Mark Fields, executive vice president and president, The Americas. William Osborne remains president, Ford of Canada and will report to DiMarco.
Antonio Maciel Neto resigns his position as president of Ford South America to join Suzano Papel e Celulose as its new CEO. His resignation will be effective May 3. Maciel will remain to ensure a smooth transition during the realignment of the region.
"I came to Ford to be part of the most important automotive turnaround in Brazil history and we’ve accomplished that," Maciel said. "We have a great team in place at Ford to continue the success we started. I am now ready to take on a new challenge."
In his new role, DiMarco will oversee diverse business operations in South America including product development, more than 500 dealerships, multiple car and light truck manufacturing plants, and the only wholly owned commercial truck operation in Ford Motor Company.
He assumes leadership of South America to focus on the strategic planning for the region, including developing plans to further increase market share and profitability. In addition, he will oversee operations in the Andina region.
From 1999 to 2005, Ford South America has accomplished one of the most successful business turnarounds in the region. For the past nine quarters, Ford has been the most profitable automotive company in South America.
Previously, DiMarco was executive director, Operations Support and Finance and Strategy for Canada, Mexico and South America. Prior to that assignment, DiMarco was finance director for the North America Labor Negotiations team.
He has also served as chief finance director of International Operations, including New Markets and the Asia-Pacific region. DiMarco joined Ford in 1973 as a financial analyst and also has held significant positions in North American Sales and Service Operations and Manufacturing. In addition, DiMarco previously worked in South America as finance controller for Autolatina in Brazil.
"With Dom’s overall broad experience in international markets, and more recently in Canada, Mexico and South America he will bring a business and leadership perspective that moves Canada and South America forward," said Fields.
In his new position, Engle will be responsible for all Mercosur operations, including Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, plus the markets of Chile, Bolivia and Peru. Engle returned to Ford Brazil in September 2005, having previously served as the director, Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford Brazil from 2001 to 2003.
Engle’s career has included a variety of international management experiences; prior to his return to Brazil he was director and general manager, Worldwide Direct Market Operations with responsibility for export operations in 116 markets around the world.
Previously, Engle was director, North America Product Strategy and Planning, a position to which he was appointed in December 2004. Prior to that, he had been General Marketing Manager, Ford Customer Service Division. Engle also has first-hand automotive retail experience, having been a dealer himself.
Engle joined Ford in 1992. He held a variety of marketing and sales positions representing Ford Division, Lincoln Mercury, and Mazda in the United States, Mexico and Japan.
"Barry is an innovative leader, which has been reinforced in his short tenure as president, Ford Brazil. I look forward to working with him even more closely to shape the direction of the commercial operations across the region," said DiMarco.
Maciel joined Ford Motor Company in July 1999 as president of Ford Brazil. In October 2003, he was named president of Ford South America Operations.
Maciel was elected a corporate vice president in October 2004. During his tenure he led the successful regional business turnaround and prepared the business for sustained profitability.
"Maciel has made a significant contribution to the Ford Motor Company global business through innovations in product, business and marketing strategies. We wish Maciel well in his new role and thank him for his work at Ford Motor Company," said Fields.
Maciel at Suzano
Suzano Papel e Celulose, one of Latin America’s largest integrated producers of pulp and paper, announced its new CEO. Antonio Maciel Neto, currently president of Ford South America Operations and a Ford Motor Company vice-president, will succeed Murilo Passos as CEO of Suzano Papel e Celulose.
Mr. Passos has been preparing his succession since 2004. With the restructuring of the Company’s organizational model into Business Units since the beginning of this year, and with the launch of the Mucuri pulp plant expansion project, his mission has been completed successfully, and the conditions for him to take over new strategic functions in the Suzano group are in place.
David Feffer, Chairman of the Board of Suzano Papel e Celulose, said: "The process of choosing the successor to Murilo Passos as CEO of Suzano Papel e Celulose is an important step in the organization’s development, and is the direct result of the Company’s professionalization process – in which Mr. Passos played a vitally important role, taking part in the management and development of the group’s pulp and paper operations since 1993.
He built a solid base for the sustainable growth of our business and prepared the Company for the development of new leaders, focused on the market and on transparency. This has been a period of significant increase in the value of our shares, which are now at their highest-ever market price."
In the functions that he held in recent years at Ford, Antonio Maciel Neto was responsible for five plants and more than 500 dealerships around South America. His responsibilities also included strategic planning for the region, and developing plans to increase the market share and profitability of Ford South America Operations.
Previously, he held other important positions, such as Deputy State Secretary of the Brazilian Industry and Trade Ministry, CEO of Cecrisa, and President of the Itamarati Group. He also worked for Petrobras for 10 years.
Suzano Papel e Celulose is one of the largest vertically integrated producers of eucalyptus pulp and paper in Latin America, with pulp production capacity of 1.1 million tons/year and paper production capacity of 820,000 tons/year.
It offers a broad range of pulp and paper products for the domestic and international markets, with leadership positions in key Brazilian markets. It has four product lines: eucalyptus pulp; uncoated woodfree printing and writing paper; coated woodfree printing and writing paper; and paperboard.
Suzano Papel e Celulose indirectly owns 50% of the controlling interest in Ripasa S.A. Celulose e Papel, which produces pulp, printing and writing paper, specialty papers, paperboard and cardboards.
Ripasa’s 2004 net sales were R$ 1.4 billion, from sales of 612,000 tons of products. It has four industrial units in São Paulo State, and forest areas totaling 86,400 hectares.
Ford Motor Company – www.ford.com
Suzano Papel e Celulose – www.suzano.com.br