Ford German unit CEO Zimmermann to leave

September 10, 2002

Cologne, Germany - Bloomberg News reported that Ford-Werke AG Chief Executive Rolf Zimmermann is planning to leave the German division of the world's No. 2 carmaker for personal reasons.

Zimmermann, 55, has asked Ford-Werke's supervisory board to approve his request to step down at its meeting on Thursday, said Don Hume, a spokesman for Ford Motor Co.

Hume wouldn't comment on a report in the German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung that Bernhard Mattes, Ford-Werke's sales and marketing chief, would succeeded Zimmermann. Mattes, 46, is the management board's deputy chairman while Zimmermann is chairman.

In an interview with German newspaper Bild am Sonntag published Sunday, Zimmermann said he wanted to retire because he had achieved his goals. His contract is scheduled to expire next year, Ford said.

Zimmermann, a manufacturing executive for most of his career, worked for General Motors Corp.'s Adam Opel AG unit in Germany and Volkswagen AG's Skoda unit before joining Ford in 1997. He became chief executive of Ford-Werke in 1998.

He isn't available for comment, the company said.

Ford-Werke has said it expects to be profitable this year after a loss of 80 million euros ($78 million) in 2001. The carmaker this year has won market share in Western Europe from General Motors and Volkswagen.