Long-time Ford Motor Co. employee Steve Lyons has been named group VP-North America marketing, sales and service, effective immediately.
He replaces replaced Earl Hesterberg who left to become president and CEO of Houston-based specialty retailer Group 1 Automotive, Inc., which owns 96 automotive dealerships comprised of 142 franchises, 33 brands and 32 collision service centers in 11 states.
Lyons, who was a Ford Motor VP and president of the Ford Division, will report to Greg Smith, Ford’s executive VP and president, the Americas.
“Steve Lyons’ strong sense of the marketplace, relationships with dealers and ability to drive results will help us grow market share with our two highest-volume divisions,” Smith said in a statement. “His success in reaching record sales last year of America’s best-selling vehicle demonstrates the kind of leadership we want to replicate more broadly.”
Lyons began his career with Ford in 1972 as a truck design engineer and progressed through a series of product-related assignments before joining the Ford Division in 1982. Throughout the next 20 years, he held a number of positions in marketing and sales, including advertising manager and general marketing manager for Lincoln Mercury and general marketing manager and general sales manager for the Ford Division.
Darryl Hazel, who previously served as the company’s VP and president, Lincoln Mercury, replaces and reports to Lyons. Al Giombetti, who was general manager of Lincoln Mercury, succeeds Hazel.
Hesterberg, who replaced the retiring Jim O’Connor on Oct. 1, previously had been a company VP and Ford of Europe’s VP-marketing, sales and service.
Ford reported on April 1 that U.S. customers purchased or leased 305,172 cars and trucks from Ford, Mercury, Lincoln, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo dealers in March, the highest monthly total since May 2004. Compared with a year ago, however, overall sales declined 1.7%. Consumer demand grew for the Ford Five Hundred sedan, Ford Mustang and Mercury Montego sedan, while truck and SUV sales fell.
