New boss for Blue Oval

Ford Australia boss Tom Gorman is moving on just months ahead of the arrival of the Blue Oval's new generation of Falcon. Gorman, who came to Ford Australia in 2004 to replace Geoff Polites, will be leaving Ford for a role outside the automotive industry.

“That company will make its own announcement in a couple of weeks, so obviously we can't say anything at the moment,” Ford spokeswoman Sinead McAlary says.

Gorman will be replaced as Ford Australia president by Bill Osborne, currently president and CEO of Ford Canada.

The news comes only a week after General Motors Holden announced that chairman Chris Gubbey, who had been in the role for less than six months, would move to Russia with his place taken by Mark Reuss.

“Bill Osborne has a wealth of business and industry knowledge and will be an immense asset to the Ford Australia team,” says Ford Motor Company executive vice-president of Asia Pacific and Africa John Parker.

“He has led the Ford of Canada team admirably since November 2005 and is well placed to take the Australian operations to the next level of global integration and significance.”

Before his stint in Canada, Osborne had extensive experience in Ford's pickup truck and commercial division. Since joining Ford in 1990 he had also held the position of assistant vehicle line director for the mid-size sedan platform and manufacturing operations manager at the Romeo Engine Plant. Ford is now pushing its new world plan for a rear-wheel effort based on the Falcon.