Is Ford trying to aquire the services of Carlos Ghosn?

[Ry]

Or maybe joining the Renault-Nissan Alliance?

Renault's Ghosn mulling alliance with Ford or GM via equity swap
Renault SA chief executive is considering taking advantage of the weak valuation of either Ford Motor Co or General Motors Corp to agree a friendly alliance via an equity swap, French weekly business magazine Challenges reported.

Without naming its source, the magazine said in an article to be published tomorrow that Ghosn had originally targeted DaimlerChrysler AG, but was attracted by the weak relative capitalisation of the US groups, compared to Renault or its Nissan Motor Co affiliate.

The magazine cited Ghosn as having already stated that the Renault-Nissan alliance is not an 'exclusive club' and, again without naming it source, said he refused an offer of the post of global President of Ford this summer.

The magazine said Ghosn has set as a condition for any tie-up that the US government should shoulder at least part of the potential partner's pension liabilities.

A Renault spokesman declined to comment in detail on the article, but said: 'Renault-Nissan has already declared itself open to partnerships, but not by means of acquisition.'

Ford May Report First Loss Since 2003 as SUV Sales Decline
Ford sought in August to hire Carlos Ghosn, chief executive of Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co.

Bill Ford, who has been chief executive since 2001, told reporters on Sept. 21 that Ghosn wasn't being considered for the position of chief executive. Bill Ford also said he doesn't know how long he will lead the automaker. "I'm not looking to go anyplace else,'' he said.

"Bill Clay Ford can't be fired because his family controls the company,'' said Peter Morici, business professor at the University of Maryland in College Park. The Ford family controls 40 percent of voting power at the company through the automaker's Class B shares.

"Bill Clay Ford needs to leave,'' Morici said. "He is doing this out of a sense of service. He's just a prince of a fellow. He just shouldn't be running a car company.''

Renault denies it is mulling link with Ford or GM
"A precondition for such an operation, which would take place in the form of a share swap and that Ghosn wants to be friendly, would be that the U.S. state assumes at least part of the pension costs," the paper said.


Ford Not Interested In Alliance; Ghosn, Ghosn, NOT Ghone
There's certainly pressure on Ford to solve its problems, Ford's Jim Padilla agreed, "but you can't assume there's a panacea out there." Padilla's comments come as word of possible alliance talks flow through the industry's chatty, global rumor mill. Most often, such gossip seems to link Ford with Nissan, the Japanese turnaround company. For his part, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn insisted such talk is just that. At the same time, he said the company "is open" to a potential alliance. It already proved that such deals really can work, with its French ally Renault getting credit for helping revive Nissan's flagging fortunes. But there are no plans, nor discussions underway, Ghosn quickly added.

Ford CEO Bill Ford has acknowledged approaching senior executives at several rival companies about joining the beleaguered Detroit manufacturer. That apparently includes Dieter Zetsche, the former Chrysler CEO soon to be chairman of DaimlerChrysler AG. But whether Ford has also tried to tap the widely hailed Nissan/Renault CEO, Carlos Ghosn, is apparently a matter of debate. The jet-setting Ghosn said "rumors of my leaving Nissan and Renault are unfounded," though he declined to specifically deny any effort to recruit him. "Approaches are not always direct," he said, somewhat cryptically. "I like what I'm doing," he added, "and see no need to change." Some observers have speculated that with Nissan on the mend, Ghosn might seek other challenges, but he emphasized that "I think Nissan has more potential to deliver."