New MD for Ford Malaysia
Deborah Aronson has been named the Managing Director for Ford Malaysia Sdn Bhd, effective June 1st, 2001. Ms Aronson succeeds Richard L. Canny, who takes on a new assignment as the President of Ford Argentina. Mr Canny spent the past four years in Malaysia and was the first Ford-appointed executive to manage the company’s operations here since the mid-1980s.
“We want to thank Richard Canny for his outstanding contribution to Ford Malaysia,” said Gerald Kania, President of Ford ASEAN Operations. “Richard successfully navigated the business and his team through the late-Nineties’ regional economic crisis and started the brand transformation process in Malaysia. Today Ford is the third leading non-national automotive brand in Malaysia, from a sixth position four years ago.”
“We are delighted that Deborah will continue to work in the region, having done a wonderful job for us in Vietnam,” Mr Kania added. “Given her experience of working in Asia and her background, we are confident Deborah will continue the brand momentum we have in Malaysia.”
Prior to this post, Ms Aronson was the General Director of Ford Vietnam, a position she held since April 1999. She joined Ford Motor Company in 1985 and, over the years, has held various positions in Sales and Marketing, Product Planning, Brand Development, Customer Service and Dealer Development/Market Representation in both United States and international operations including Australia, Ecuador, Chile, Venezuela, Mexico, Middle East, Japan and Taiwan.
She has a BA in Social Work from San Diego State University and a MBA in Marketing and Management from the University of San Francisco.
With Ms Aronson’s appointment, Ford now has two women in the topmost positions in its Malaysian units. The other is Lena Olving, who is Managing Director of Volvo Car Malaysia, a subsidiary of Volvo Car Corporation. Volvo is part of Ford’s Premier Automotive Group that includes Land Rover, Aston Martin and Jaguar.
