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"As I say to my friends, I‘m not here for a good time, I‘m here for a long time," he said, for example. (Though we will discover that he is here for a good time, as well; and that he not only ‘loves‘ his job, he It‘s the little things the reporter noticed... Harrigan wore a suit jacket for the interview, O‘Connor was in shirtâ€"sleeves; Harrigan waited for the questions, O‘*Connor anticipated; Harrigan was dignified and smooth as silk, O‘Connor seemed to have more fun, bantered a bit and always got the last word. The new guy has a different style â€" he‘s fresh for one thing. He‘s a highly charged, enthusiastic "call me Jim" New Yorker. He calls himself a city boy, born and raised in New York City. He lives now in Toronto with his wife Judith. What struck the reporter upon meeting the new chief was the obviâ€" ous contrast in style from the outgoâ€" ing, statesmanâ€"like Harrigan who had been Ford of Canada‘s president since 1981 and retired last year. Harrigan, a native Canadian, was a brilliant executive, committed to Ford and sensitive to the Canadian viewpoint. At fifty, and in spite of his distinâ€" guished mane of grey hair, ("My hair was dark when I came here," he quipped) his blue eyes radiate energy and he is animated in converâ€" sation. The newspaper headâ€"shots, that often accompany stories where he is featured, do not do him justice. James O‘Connor leads F ord of Canada into the future YÂ¥ ames G. (Jim) O‘Connor has been Ford of Canada‘s chief executive officer only since October of last year. Though he was quick to point out, in an interview last week, he was in Canada before â€" from 1984 to 1986 â€" as viceâ€"presiâ€" dent marketing under Ken Harrigan. And then again from 1990 to 1992, he was president/chief operating officer to Harrigan‘s CEO. A LOOK BACK ON FOUR DECADES OF AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCTION IN OAKVILLE, ONTARIO For 40 Years of Quality Service ongratulations We were with you on the first day, We look forward to the next 40 years. FORD From all appearances, the uniâ€" verse is unfolding as it should for the Villanova Economics grad 1964 (O‘Connor is the proud president of the Alumni Club for his alma mater). His new challenges seem to fit comfortably on his shoulders. Looking expansively around his luxâ€" urious office, he said somewhat mischievously, "I have this nice new According to O‘Connor, Ford of Canada is now wellâ€"positioned as a full participant in the global marketâ€" place, and the Ford ‘family‘ here is a special one, indeed. Ford employs 4,800 people chiefly from the Oakville/Burlington area with an annual payroll, including retirees, of over $100â€"million. Ford pays more taxes than anyone else in Oakville and is the biggest contributor to the United Way. This is all as it should be, the CEO said, "I am really trying to carry on many of the traditions in the community that Harrigan was so active in." He is the tenth president in the company‘s history which dates back to 1904 when the first plant was built in Windsor. O*‘Connor didn‘t wait to be asked about his American status. He declared it, "I‘m pretty proud to be the first American since the twenties to run this company (back then it was a certain Henry Ford). It shows a real vote of confidence in my abiliâ€" ties to deal with the employees, the union, and the governments â€" as somewhat of an outsider." ‘lives‘ his job, This is a key to his success). AUTO HAULAWAY Profile OQOARKVILLE +1953 ~ 1993 He acquired his first car, a *39 Pontiac stickâ€"shift, he said, at the age of 15 in exchange for a mighty fine set of barbells. (He was working on a farm in Vermont for the sumâ€" mer and trying to become Allâ€"State in football, which he eventually did. Though in his freshman year at colâ€" Yes, he said, he does get emoâ€" tional about ‘old* cars. He‘s owned a *57 Thunderbird â€" one of the origiâ€" nal twoâ€"seaters â€" for almost 20 years. (He‘s been with Ford for 29 years, recruited straight out of colâ€" lege). He also has a ‘66 Mustang GT convertible and an *87 Jag (now a Ford marque, as well). He wasn‘t boasting; this was not one of the questions he anticipated, but he didn‘t mind answering. "One of my summer jobs at uniâ€" versity was as a mechanic‘s helper," he volunteered, "so I learmned to fool around with the engines." He drives a Town Car, he said; his wife drives a Thunderbird. Each of his daughters has a Probe. "In this business, we say, you are what you drive," he pointed out. (We guess this means the O‘Connors are Ford folks to the bone). desk and office... 1 love it. This is a big year for him, he noted: in February he turned 50, and in May he celebrated his 25th wedâ€" ding anniversary; last Sunday, his older daughter Meredith Ann graduâ€" ated from university and later this June, Erin Kathleen (no Irish influâ€" ence here!), his younger daughter will graduate from high school. Erin is going on to Notre Dame University in Indiana next year while Meredith starts teaching French at a private girls‘ school in Maryland. These are gratifying times for a husband and dad, and chief executive. Recently, for the first time in several years, his comâ€" pany was able to show a quarterly profit. desk and office... I love "It was the only nonâ€"Ford I ever owned," he said with conviction. O‘Connor was hired for his marâ€" keting ability and rose up through the company‘s sales and marketing channel. He is a fast talker (though, we think, there is substance to back up his style). Significantly, he left the lege, a knee injury took him out of that game for good). A proud Qâ€"L supplier of quality lubricants to the Ford Motor Company. Congratulations and best wishes from Petroâ€"Canada Products Ford of Canada CEO James (Jim)} O‘Connor 40 Years of * @Quality PETROCANADA ® corporate sector after six years to work in a Ford dealership for three years. He thought briefly that "the grass might be greener on the other side". He calls it his doctorate in automobile retailing now and he thinks it has helped him get a better understanding of the whole business When he left Canada for the first time in 1986, it was to become exec PP Lubricants N J Lubrifiants Wednesday, June 9, 1993 â€" Oakville Beaver â€" F5 In his spare time, O‘Connor enjoys golf, motor sport racing, and deep sea fishing. Sounds like a good man to have at the helm. "This business has been real tough the past few years," he said, noting that it is a cyclical industry with upâ€"swings and downâ€"swings. ‘*You have to know what you can control and what you can‘t control. You work real hard on the things you can control and don‘t panic when things get difficult." O‘Connor sees the role of the chief executive as one of overall strategy, not everyday tactics. He calls himself a student of the autoâ€" mobile business. He prepares well for every meeting, every contingenâ€" cy; he is an excellent communicator and a vocal cheerleader. He has also been termed a "compassionate" boss. "But," he added, "we had to win it (from the U.S. and Mexico) the old fashioned way. We earned it through efficiency, excellent unionâ€"manageâ€" ment relations, and good quality product." "We spend a lot more time listenâ€" ing to customers nowadays," the CEO said. Last year, he was on the road 165 days, out to dinner almost every night with dealers, customers and suppliers, and meeting with politicians to test the pulse of the *‘ nation. As Harrigan did before him, O‘Connor meets with Premier Bob Rae every second month on average. The Ford man said, "Our most significant accomplishment last year was getting the $2â€"billion investment for Canada. It will ensure our longâ€" term success." utive director of Ford‘s marketing staff worldâ€"wide. For two years, he travelled the globe. (Later he would admit to only one downside to scalâ€" ing the corporate ladder, "We picked up and moved quite often, 15 houses in 29 years.")