Ford: Lincoln chief will head operations in US

Associated Press

DETROIT

A veteran executive who has led Ford’s Lincoln luxury brand will now head American operations, replacing an executive who was ousted this week over allegations of inappropriate behavior.

Kumar Galhotra, 52, will replace Raj Nair starting March 1, the company said Thursday. Ford Motor Co. said in a printed release that Galhotra will lead all aspects of the North American business, the company’s primary source of revenue and profits.

Galhotra has been with Ford for 29 years in a number of senior engineering and product strategy positions. He has led the Lincoln brand since 2014 and has also led the company’s marketing efforts since last year.

Ford said Wednesday that Nair was leaving the company immediately. The automaker would not discuss the behavior that led to his ouster. Nair expressed regret in a company statement and declined to comment when reached Wednesday by The Associated Press.

Nair was forced out after the company investigated a recent anonymous complaint made to the company’s 24-hour hot line.

From the end of 2014 through December of last year, Lincoln brand sales in the U.S. grew nearly 18 percent under Galhotra as the brand introduced new vehicles. He also expanded the brand into China, where it has seen big growth. Lincoln’s global sales were up 13 percent last year to more than 188,000, an 18-year high.