Kumar Galhotra, New President of Lincoln Brand

The Lincoln brand has been on a steady decline for quiet some time now, Ford needed to switch things up.  Kumar Galhotra, Ford Motor Co.’s top engineer, was named president of the Lincoln brand today, a new position that reports directly to CEO Mark Fields, in another management change designed to jumpstart sales at the luxury brand.

Jim Farley, executive vice president of global sales, service and marketing, has directed Lincoln since 2012, and will continue to oversee Ford’s sales, service and marketing operations, but will also have a role in Lincoln’s marketing and product plans, Ford said today.

“Now is the right time to have a dedicated global leader for the brand,” Ford spokeswoman Susan Krusel said today.

She said it was Farley who recommended to Ford’s board of directors that Lincoln get a “totally dedicated leader.”

Galhotra, 48, has been Ford’s vice president of engineering since August 2013. He will oversee all Lincoln operations worldwide, including product development; marketing, sales and service; and all team members under the Lincoln brand.

The change is effective Sept. 1.  Fields, who took the reins at Ford on July 1 after the retirement of Alan Mulally, said the move makes clear the company is “serious about Lincoln.”

“Now is the right time for the next chapter in accelerating Lincoln as a world-class luxury brand,” Fields said in a statement. “Kumar has more than 25 years of global product and business experience, including leading engineering for all of our Lincoln vehicles today. Being our dedicated senior Lincoln leader will serve our clients, employees and dealers extremely well going forward.”  Will this change in leadership help rebuild the brand?

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