Ford Motor Company Chief Operating Officer Mark Fields (center), with (from left) CEO Alan Mulally, Executive Chairman Bill Ford, North America chief Joe Hinrichs, and product development chief Raj Nair at the 2015 F-150 unveiling in Detroit's Joe Louis Arena on Jan. 13, 2014. All five Ford executives played a role in the carefully choreographed presentation. Source: Ford Motor Company.
When an automaker like Ford (F 0.90%) introduces a product like the all-new 2015 F-150 pickup to the media, it doesn't just pull a sheet off the truck and say, "Here it is, guys!"
In fact, earlier this month, Ford took over Joe Louis Arena -- home of the Detroit Red Wings -- to unveil its new pickups with an elaborate, big-budget presentation that kicked off two days of media events at the North American International Auto Show.
We (The Motley Fool's John Rosevear and Rex Moore) were there when it happened, and we can tell you that it was a very impressive event. Not so much for the theatrics of the truck's unveiling -- although that was fun -- but because Ford's top executives managed to present a complete state-of-the-company update in less than half an hour.
Several key senior Ford executives were there, and each made a brief presentation. After Executive Chairman Bill Ford and CEO Alan Mulally spoke about Ford's vision and strategy, COO Mark Fields explained how Ford has become a much more competitive maker of small cars while at the same time building on its longtime strengths in trucks and SUVs.
If you're a Ford shareholder or enthusiast and you aren't yet familiar with Mark Fields, take a few minutes to watch this video excerpt, where he talks about Ford's global SUV lineup and strategy. Many analysts (including the Fool's John Rosevear) think that Fields is very likely to be Ford's next CEO when Alan Mulally retires. Here's a chance to go "behind the scenes" with the Fool at a media-only event where Fields set the stage for the unveiling of Ford's all-new 2015 F-150. Check it out, and then scroll down to leave a comment with your thoughts.
