Ford chief engineer Jens Ludman is trading in his Focus for one of these as he becomes the new CEO of Bavaria Yachts.
The chief engineer who was responsible for development of the latest-generation Ford Focus is leaving Ford of Europe to join a German pleasure boat builder as chief executive officer.
Jens Ludman, global chief engineer for Ford in Germany, spent 11 years with the automaker and oversaw projects including the S-Max and Mondeo. He will join Bavaria Yacht GmbH beginning Aug. 15.
“The Bavaria brand has a long-standing history in boating, which will enable us to bring fresh and exciting products to the market that are relevant to a wider audience of boating enthusiasts,” Ludman said.
On the surface, it would seem that the automotive and boat businesses are dramatically different, but Bavaria’s leaders think Ludman will help the company accelerate its plans for growth.
“He has demonstrated an effective ability to insightfully segment markets and understand the customers within these segments,” the company said in a statement. “He understands and accurately specifies the customer requirements in each of those segments, develops product concepts that address those requirements and converts these concepts into highly successful and profitable products.”
Exactly what impact Ludman’s departure will have on Ford remains to be seen. Unlike the “old” days, the maker doesn’t have as much bench talent in reserve to jump in for the German engineer, who was responsible for some of the more important products in the current Ford stable.
The latest version of the Focus is one of the first – and most critical – products developed as part of Ford CEO Alan Mulally’s One Ford strategy. In decades past, the maker would have engineered different models for each key market, notably the U.S. and Europe. But with the upcoming launch of an American version, the new Focus will be produced worldwide with only minor revisions to reflect regional differences in safety and emissions standards and consumer preferences.