A 39-year Ford veteran will take over as the top lawyer for the automaker as it loses Bradley Gayton to the Coca-Cola Co.
John Mellen, associate general counsel at Ford, is to become general counsel at the Dearborn automaker effective Aug. 1, “assuming responsibility for global legal matters and overseeing the company’s legal team,” according to a news release Monday from Ford.
Gayton, who is to become senior vice president and general counsel at Coca-Cola Co., will stay on until Aug. 31.
Included in the announcement was the elevation of Jonathan Jennings, effective Aug. 1, to vice president of global commodity purchasing and supplier technical assistance. The company said Jennings’ new role as a corporate officer in global purchasing “is part of a series of organizational moves to to further improve fitness and effectiveness in the company’s purchasing division.” He succeeds Lisa Drake in those responsibilities, the company noted, “allowing Drake to focus exclusively on her role as chief operating officer for Ford’s North American auto business.”
Gayton marks the second African American member of Ford’s leadership ranks to depart in recent months. Burt Jordan, vice president of global purchasing and supply chain sustainability, retired this month after 20 years with the company.
When Ford spokesman T.R. Reid was asked for a comment on the loss of two African American executives by the automaker in such a short time, he noted that the company has been outspoken in its diversity goals.
But he also mentioned what it means on a personal level to lose a friend and leader like Gayton, whom he described as a terrific guy who is well-liked. Reid said the move to Coca-Cola offers Gayton a chance to challenge himself and shows that global companies searching for talent look to Ford.
In losing Gayton as general counsel, Jim Hackett, Ford’s president and CEO, highlighted Gayton’s 29 years of service and his “positive influence inside and outside Ford.” For instance, Gayton and his team bolstered the company’s tradition of providing pro bono legal services in southeast Michigan and elsewhere.
“Bradley is an exceptional strategic business leader and advisor, and we’re grateful for everything he’s done,” Hackett said in the release. “His legal and administrative functions are world-class, partly because of how Bradley uses agile teams to operate most efficiently and create a rich environment for development.”
Gayton said leaving won’t be easy, saying the company is “deeply part of me,” and he noted his team’s accomplishments during his tenure.
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“There’s a lot to be proud of, particularly the programs we’ve established that could enhance diversity for generations to come,” he said.
Hackett also had praise for Mellen, who has managed the company’s global litigation practice.
“John Mellen has been invaluable in advancing and protecting Ford as associate general counsel,” Hackett said in the release. “His wisdom and relationships will help sustain our ambition to build trust and generate superior value for customers and other stakeholders.”
The company said Gayton’s “responsibilities for sustainability, environment and safety engineering; corporate services; global shared service center operations; security, and Ford Land, which manages company facilities and real estate, will be the subject of a future announcement.”
Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @_ericdlawrence. Phoebe Wall Howard contributed to this report.
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