Ford Australia and New Zealand has appointed Andrew Birkic as new president and chief executive officer.
Birkic, an Australian, was previously chief product marketer for the Ranger and Everest.
His appointment is effective immedaitely and he replaces New Zealander Kay Hart as she relocates to the United Kingdom in a global role as enterprise product line manager – van and bus.
Birkic started his career at Ford Australia in 1994 holding leadership roles in marketing, sales and the customer service division.
He is the first Australian to be appointed in the role as president and chief executive officer of Ford Australia and New Zealand, since the departure of Marin Burela in 2010.
Birkic will be based in Melbourne, reporting to Ford international markets group president Mark Ovenden.
“Andrew is a highly experienced and engaging leader who brings a wealth of insights into the evolving needs of customers,” Ovenden says.
“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.”
As chief product marketer – Ranger and Everest, Birkic represents the needs of global customers in product decisions, ensuring the requirements of customers from each region are considered. He also has global responsibility to develop pricing, series and positioning strategies for future vehicles, working in collaboration with the product development team based in Melbourne.
Prior to his current role, Birkic spent 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. Working with dealers and Ford teams in each country to develop tools and strategies to better serve their customers was at the heart of both roles.
“I am thrilled to be re-joining the fantastic team in Australia and New Zealand,” Birkic says. “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.”
In this role, Birkic will be responsible for Ford’s national sales company in Australia and New Zealand, including marketing, sales and service, dealer relations, and customer satisfaction.
Birkic succeeds Kay Hart, who is appointed to the global role of enterprise product line manager (EPLM), van and bus.
Hart will report to Jim Baumbick, vice president, EPLM and will be responsible for the van and bus product lines in addition to carrying forward Ford’s commercial vehicle alliance with VW.
She has also been appointed a member of the Ford Otosan Board of Directors, and will be based out of Dunton, UK.
Hart joins the EPLM team after holding a number of key roles in New Zealand, Thailand, China, the Philippines, the US and Australia during her 21 years at the company.
“I’ve loved my time in Australia and New Zealand,” Hart says. “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.”
