I'm Not Sure That This Was a "Bold Move"

TrainTrac · Apr 5, 2007

Another bit of news in the May 2007 issue of Motor Trend:

The man who served as chief engineer on the current Mustang, Hau Thai-Tang, has left Dearborn for Brazil to become director of product development for Ford's South America Operations. His move from director of advanced product creation and the Special Vehicle Team is being touted as a step upward. The South American assignment will give Hau background in running a foreign operation. Ford sells smaller cars and trucks in the region, such as Fiesta, EcoSport, and its own versions of Focus and Ranger. Hau's replacement at SVT and advanced vehicle is Hermann Salenbauch, who came to Ford in 2001 after 18 years at BMW and BMW's Rover Group.

:huh:

This man was responsible for Ford's only truly successful car product line in the U.S., and they "promote" him to South America??? I just don't get it...

Gavin Allan · Apr 5, 2007

Sounds like a rat jumping from a sinking ship to me...

Larry Phillips · Apr 5, 2007

Hau's replacement at SVT and advanced vehicle is Hermann Salenbauch, who came to Ford in 2001 after 18 years at BMW and BMW's Rover Group.

I thought SVT was dissolved...

WXMotorSports DecalsPartsAccs · Apr 5, 2007

SVT is not dissolved. If you go to their site they have the Shelby GT Cobra all over it.

user 62394 · Apr 5, 2007

I thnk if you have seen how Ford typically works, this is not so odd. As the article kind of implies, Ford like to send executives that they they think will move up in the company to run smaller organizations in other parts of the world. Call it a training assignment. I'll bet we see him back in the USA in the next year or two.

Side, note -- I won't say that I know Hau Thai-Tang, but I did meet him a few times when I was working on the Mustang program with a Ford supplier. He was an interesting guy. One of the better managers that I met there. He was demanding, but I don't think too unreasonable in his demands. Tough, but fair, I guess.

Rodger Tellefson · Apr 5, 2007

I agree with the above, in that a lot of companies like to see their employees move around because it gives them better chances for promotion. I know that where I used to work a lot of the people that went to other locations to work came back at higher paying positions.