BRAD MUNN: IMMERSION IN FORD CULTURE BRINGS STRATEGY MANAGER FULL CIRCLE
- Brad Munn is cross-vehicle product strategy manager for Ford Motor Company
- An especially important task for Munn is complexity reduction – limiting the number of orderable combinations across vehicle lineups
- For Munn, working at Ford Motor Company is a family tradition
Brad Munn, Ford’s cross-vehicle product strategy manager, grew up hearing stories about Henry Ford, and visiting Greenfield Village. His father was a Ford tractor dealer, and Munn spent his teenage years working in the parts department. So it’s no surprise he followed family tradition and ended up working for Ford Motor Company.
“My family never owned a car other than a Ford,” said Munn. “My dad was dedicated to Ford, and nurtured a very strong positive view of Ford Motor Company as a national icon. So it was a natural fit for me to work at Ford.”
An especially important task for Munn is complexity reduction – limiting the number of orderable combinations across lineups. In the past, dealers have had so many combinations to choose from that customers were overwhelmed by options – they often couldn’t find the mix they needed. It was frustrating and time-consuming. So Munn and his team worked to determine customer favorites, and then simplified the process considerably.
“We’re enhancing the shopping experience by reducing the choices – and the confusion,” Munn said. “Although it seems surprising that fewer choices are better, they are; less certainly can offer more. Now consumers can find the vehicle they want at a good value.”
Leaner, meaner operations
For example, the 2010 Ford Fusion is available in 152 popular orderable combinations, compared with 2,602 configurations for the 2008 model year. The company has reduced orderable configurations for the entire Ford brand by 90 percent from 2008.
Munn can’t pinpoint just one part of his job he loves, because there’s so much about it he thrives on. Highlights include working in the auto industry, the culture and heritage of Ford Motor Company, and the complexity of product development and manufacturing.
“In my role, I get to apply my education and experience in a very meaningful way,” he said. “What we do has a direct impact on our vehicles and how they are perceived and accepted by the customer – that means a lot.”
Munn started with the company in 1980 after earning a bachelor’s degree from the College of Wooster in Ohio. He also has an MBA from Miami University of Ohio. His prior positions include several sales and marketing jobs in California and Detroit, and international assignments covering Europe, the Middle East and Latin America. Most recently, he served as a Lincoln Mercury product marketing manager before joining Global Advance Product Strategy.
But it’s not all work for Munn; he enjoys spending time with his spouse and their twin daughters.
Personal Insights and Fun Facts
- For Munn, a highlight of his job at Ford is the caliber of the people he works with
- Munn enjoys traveling to national parks
- Working for Ford Motor Company is a family tradition
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About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 201,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.
Nov. 2, 2009
