Ford Streamlines Corporate Structure

Ford Motor President and Chief Executive Alan Mulally said the automaker has realigned its organization to put more focus on worldwide markets and customers.

CNBC's Phil LeBeau says the move was widely expected and is Mulally's latest effort to flatten Ford's management structure.

Derrick Kuzak has been chosen to lead global product development in addition to product development in the Americas. He will report directly to Mulally. J Mays continues to lead Ford design and will support Kuzak.

The heads of Ford's three automotive business units and several others will also now report directly to Mulally: Mark Fields, Ford of the Americas; Lewis Booth, Ford of Europe and the Premier Automotive Group; and John Parker, Ford of Asia Pacific and Africa, and Mazda; Tony Brown, purchasing; Bennie Fowler, quality and advanced manufacturing engineering; Nick
Smither, information technology; and Richard Parry-Jones, chief technical officer. Mulally's other direct reports remain unchanged.