Ford’s Top Design, Labor, Manufacturing Chiefs to Retire

Ford Motor Co. says a trio of its senior executives will retire at the end of the year, signaling a major shift in the leadership of the company's design, production and labor operations for 2014.

The executives are:

J Mays, 59, vice president and chief creative officer for design

Jim Tetreault, 58, vice president of North American manufacturing

Martin Mulloy, 57, vice president of labor affairs

All three executives are highly regarded veterans at Ford. Analysts consider their retirements part of a broad management shuffle in preparation for the expected departure of CEO Alan Mulally, 68, at the end of next year.

Mays, who joined Ford in 1997 as vice president of design, led teams that penned Ford's current Fusion, Focus, Fiesta, Taurus, Mustang and F-150 vehicles. He will be succeeded by Moray Callum, currently in charge of design activities in the Americas, as vice president of design. Callum will report to Raj Nair, who heads global product development.

Tetreault has managed more than 30 Ford manufacturing facilities in North America, spearheading the company's recent effort to hike output without adding new factories. He joined Ford in 1988 and headed manufacturing operations in Europe before moving into his current assignment in 2008.

Tetreault will be succeeded by Bruce Hettle, currently executive director of global vehicle operations manufacturing engineering. Hettle will report to Joe Hinrichs, president of the Americas, and John Fleming, who heads global manufacturing and labor affairs.

Mulloy joined Ford more than 34 years ago and was named to his current position in 2005. He led Ford's U.S. labor negotiations in 2007, 2009 and 2011. His successor is Bill Dirksen, who has headed Ford's U.S. labor affairs since 2007. Dirksen will report to Fleming and Felicia Fields, group vice president of HR and corporate services.