Geelong-born Ford president nowhere to be seen

Geelong Advertiser, Danny Lannen - October 15th, 2008

FORD Australia's new chief executive stayed silent in Melbourne yesterday while workers in his old home town paced the floor over their futures.

Marin Burela did not share a public word as talk ignited of hundreds of fresh job cuts at Ford's Geelong and Broadmeadows plants.

His former Geelong workmates called from the factory floor for respect and compassion as they contemplated more questions and less secure futures.

"People are upset, people are stressed, people are worried, they've got financial issues, housing issues, kids, morale is right, right down," one employee said.
"We just want the company to have the decency to inform people on the shop floor."

Ford Australia spokeswoman Sinead McAlary said Mr Burela would speak once he had settled into his new role.

Mr Burela inherited a poisoned chalice when he formally started as Ford Australia president and chief executive on October 1 with the company already having announced cutting of up to 350 jobs in Geelong by mid-November.

Fresh claims have added weight to workers' fears as stalling big-car sales, rising fuel costs and global economic pressures weigh on bottom lines.

Ms McAlary confirmed yesterday Mr Burela was in the driver's chair, hands-on and in charge in Melbourne. but would not be speaking publicly.

He had been in and out of Australia during the past couple of weeks handing over his overseas posting, she said.

"He was in Australia for two days when he first took over and then back to Europe for more handovers and then last Wednesday night was back in Australia," Ms McAlary said.
"Obviously we've been working on this for a couple of months, what we're trying to do is set the company up so it will be the right size and with the right skills to move the business forward."

Mr Burela was born in Geelong and joined Ford as an engineering graduate in 1984 and has worked in senior management roles across manufacturing, sales, marketing and product development in Asia, Europe and North America.

He has not worked at Ford Australia since 1998.

Ms McAlary declined to comment on the number of workers who might be offered redundancies.
"We're still working through what is best," Ms McAlary said.
"We'll get back to them as soon as practically possible, we're hoping to do it sooner rather than later."