Kumar Galhotra, Ford Motor Company vice president and president, Lincoln, was the guest speaker on August 8 for Lincoln aficionados attending a dinner at the Dearborn Country Club as part of the Fourth Annual Lincoln Homecoming events preceding the Grand National Meet in Hickory Corners. Reporting to Ford President and CEO Jim Hackett, Galhotra is the most senior leader overseeing all Lincoln operations globally, including product development; marketing, sales and service; and all team members supporting the Lincoln brand, as he builds on the brand’s recent product and sales momentum.
Coming from an engineering background (he was responsible for the engineering of all cars, trucks, SUVs and crossover vehicles for Ford and Lincoln brands) and with product development experience in Lincoln’s expansion in China, Galhorta is uniquely positioned to oversee the development of the next generation of Lincoln vehicles as well as connect them with a new generation of Lincoln clients.
His experience in China, where both the heritage of the brand and the luxury image attract potential buyers, has influenced his focus is to build on the appeal of Lincoln not only through its distinctive vehicles but also a world-class, luxury ownership experience.
Galhorta advocates thinking outside the box to see what services Lincoln can offer its dedicated buyers. Realizing that our time is valuable, he indicated that they are looking, not at improving dealer waiting room amenities, but at keeping customers from waiting at all. Offering a car pick up and return for service is being evaluated with a tight 15 minute appointment window at home or office so no one will be inconvenienced or have their time wasted. They are also considering having Lincoln provide chauffeuring options for clients who have partied too much to drive home so your vehicle would be with you in the morning. These are but a few of the innovative approaches the company is exploring for accelerating Lincoln even further as a world-class luxury brand.
