"Never let a crisis pass you by", advises Ford of Great Britain Chairman

19 June 2013

Mark Ovenden, Chairman and Managing Director of Ford of Great Britain, encouraged businesses to guard against complacency and be prepared to constantly revise their strategies in response to ever changing market conditions. Mr. Ovenden, an alumnus of The University of Nottingham, outlined his vision of what make a good plan - based on his experience at Ford - to a large and attentive audience of business associates, alumni, students, staff and members of the local community at the recent Business Leaders Series event hosted by Nottingham University Business School.

Graduating with a degree in Geography from Nottingham in 1985, Mr. Ovenden was attracted to a career in business after undertaking modules in Economics and International Relations as part of his course. He started on the Graduate Training programme with Ford, having been recruited on the so-called ‘Milk round’, and for the past 28 years has forged an impressive executive career within the business. His experience encompasses all the company’s major departments including Sales; Marketing; Production; Planning; Product Development and Revenue Management. His international credentials include stints in Germany, Russia and the US.

Mr. Ovenden described how - through a combination of visionary leadership and the introduction of a clear and simple company plan - Ford has pulled itself around from virtual bankruptcy in 2008 to sustainable profitability today, reasserting its position as one of the truly great global brands. Ford’s refusal to take up the offer of a tax bailout from US congress led to the development of a radical business plan designed to create greater unity within the company and focus on stakeholder priorities. The ‘ONE Ford Plan’ comprises three simple elements that combine to provide consistent goals and expectations for all employees and align the company’s efforts toward a common definition of success i.e. ONE Team, ONE Plan and ONE Goal.

Prior to 2008, Ford was characterised by a structure fragmented into distinct operational areas and territories, but under the inspirational direction of CEO Alan Mulally, the company embraced a fundamental culture shift that involved people working together more closely in a lean, global enterprise with a genuine desire to identify and meet customer requirements. “We decided to merge with ourselves”, said Mr. Ovenden. “Our goal is to have an exciting viable Ford delivering profitable growth for all”.

Mr. Ovenden believes good plans are vital for commercial success but equally recognises that these need to be fluid and that business leaders must be prepared to change quickly and decisively. He emphasised the importance of implementation and not spent too long trying to develop the perfect plan which can hamstring the organisation’s ability to respond to changing demands. “Long term strategies should start today. The competition has a vote and the consumer has a choice”.

History may well chronicle the story of Ford as one the greatest ever corporate turnarounds but as Mr. Ovenden points out the key leadership lessons are rooted in simple and obvious ideas:

1. Be clear what you want to change.
2. Identify what needs to change to achieve it.
3. Identify by what method this will occur.
4. Do it and adapt it quickly.

In addition to providing valuable networking opportunities for people from the University and local business communities, the Business Leaders Series aims to bring high profile speakers to Nottingham University Business School to offer unique and inspiring insights into the careers and experiences of leaders in their fields. Mark Ovenden’s follows in the wake of an illustrious cast of guest speakers over the past few years including global fashion icon Sir Paul Smith; Andy Hornby, Chief Executive of Coral; Alex Gourlay, Chief Executive of Health and Beauty at Alliance Boots; and Willie Walsh, CEO of International Airlines Group.