The people in this group have added zero to revenue or potential revenue, but spend a lot of time and money flying around the world and staying in expensive hotels while accomplishing NOTHING. When will the Board wake up and get rid of Hackett and his bad ideas. We are a vehicle manufacturer, and not very competent at it based on the number and severity of recalls.
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@11RugVcx-mek - absolutely agree. Many silicon valley companies will not even make an app for Ford, because Ford "Fordizes" everything and finally the product s–ks. Ultimately, Ford has to make the app themselves, and that s–ks even bad!
You need executive approval to hire a candidate with a GPA under 3.0. Typically, these are very difficult to get even when the candidate comes from a top program and just missed the 3.0
Hopefully this Dept is not a place for friends and family of leadership team
As a Ford shareholder who is underwater, this is irritating. Ford is trying to be something they are not. What is wrong with a strategy of being the best quality vehicle manufacturer? Somebody has to be that. Ford will never be the best in developing new technology, and every company they buy seems to fade away into lost money. Stop trying to be a “Mobility services” company, nobody is looking to Ford for that. Heck, I’m not even looking at their vehicles anymore, I like sedans, won’t drive a truck or big SUV, and their quality issues and number of recalls are show stoppers.
Folks this is corporate! It's not an engineering design place, it's a corporation. The sole purpose is to produce or market products and pay stockholders / investors the bulk of the profits. Those who understand this, play the game and milk it for all it's worth. End of story! This is what large mature corporations do. Employees, get nothing, just survive until the train comes into station and you're asked to get off. Bank as much money as humanly possible and save yourself from this madness.
I know one of their "experts" who took seven years to finish a four year college degree with a 2.5 GPA and is a know-it-all who really isn't very smart. I can't see how this person can possibly be capable of knowing a good investment from a bad one.
They play a lot of ping pong, foose ball, and drink nitro cold brew.
Employees create reasons to travel, just for the points, no real business need.
Ford is very similar to the Detroit Lions (imagine that - wonder why!). Any player/coach with potential goes into a career death spiral when on the team. Notice the success of the players that left the Lions (Tigers too!).
Ford X as an incubator is a really good joke. Everyone in Silicon Valley knows an acquisition by Ford is a cash grab death sentence and your startup will be laden with bureaucracy and petty Ford politics.
Ford will have their "lessons learned" sessions by leadership afterwards, because we could all use some more knowledge on how to run a tech business into the ground.
The frequent flyer miles/hotel points game has been going on for the 30 years I was at Ford. All groups did it.
Human nature......
I know a guy in this group, and he plans all his "work" travel to maximize frequent flyer miles and hotel stays so that his family gets free vacations at the expense of Ford shareholders.
@11RugVCX oh yes, like wasting $65M on the purchase of the now defunct Chariot. Or perhaps the shuttered bicycle venture. Oh yes...you must be referring to the scooter company.. As the original poster notes, you are a waste of time and money. The results of your efforts as a "business incubator" clearly indicate you are a massive failure. Also, in having worked extremely closely with both the Mobility and AV group, I can speak with deep insight that these groups are money s—ing and filled with people having fun on the company dime but have no clue as to what they are doing.
"Ford X is Ford Mobility’s venture incubator. We unite entrepreneurs, designers and engineers to envision, build and validate new mobility ventures and business models to shape the future of transportation."