New boss for Ford Australia and New Zealand
Ford has appointed Andrew Birkic as its new president and chief executive of Ford Australia and New Zealand after former boss Kay Hart was promoted to a global role based in the UK.
Birkic, who has been with the marque for 26 years, will be based in Melbourne and report to Mark Ovenden, president of Ford International Markets Group.
In his new role, Birkic will be responsible for Ford’s National Sales Company (NSC) in Australia and New Zealand, including marketing, sales and service, dealer relations, and customer satisfaction.
He was previously chief product marketer of Ranger and Everest and has had roles with Ford in Australia, Asia and the US since starting his career with the company in 1994.
Birkic, pictured above, has held a number of leadership positions across marketing, sales and customer service at Ford Australia.
He then went on to spend three years in Detroit as global advanced consumer experience platforms manager, and two-and-a-half years in Shanghai as director, dealer development and consumer experience for Ford Asia Pacific.
“I am thrilled to be re-joining the fantastic team in Australia and New Zealand,” says Birkic. “I know how passionate and accomplished the team is, having spent the past two years working with the Ranger and Everest development team to grow the brands across more than 180 markets. I look forward to working closely with our team and dealers to serve our customers.”
Ovenden describes Birkic as a “highly experienced and engaging leader who brings a wealth of insights into the evolving needs of customers”.
“Andrew’s passion for bringing vehicles to market that truly serve our customers, his breadth of understanding of the local market, and his global expertise will serve as a strong foundation for the continued progress of the business,” adds Ovenden.
‘Outstanding’ contribution
Birkic succeeds New Zealander Hart, who had two years in the role and has now been appointed to the global role of enterprise product line manager, van and bus.
Hart’s new position involves carrying forward Ford’s commercial vehicle alliance with Volkswagen and she has also been appointed a member of the Ford Otosan Board of Directors, and will be based out of Dunton in Essex, UK.
Hart, pictured below, has held a number of key roles in New Zealand, Thailand, China, the Philippines, the US and Australia over her 21 years at the company.
“I’ve loved my time in Australia and New Zealand,” says Hart. “I have every confidence that our Ford team – both employees and dealers – will continue to strive to create an even better experience for our customers and introduce great vehicles to this rapidly evolving market.
“I am proud of our commitment to Australia, and the work of our 2,500-strong team who design and engineer world-class vehicles like the Ranger and Everest and look forward to following their progress in my new role.”
Ovenden describes Hart’s contribution to the business in Australia and New Zealand over the past two years as “outstanding”.
