• The Detroit News, Tuesday, December 13, 2011 10:26 AM

Ford Motor Co. is not actively searching outside the company for a successor to its own Steve Jobs, CEO Alan Mulally, but succession planning is an important and ongoing effort, a top executive said Monday.

"Throughout our company, it is very important that we develop succession plans in all levels of the company," said Mark Fields, Ford's president of The Americas. "It's something we're all very committed to, and there will be great opportunities within Ford," said Fields, who is among the candidates positioned to succeed Mulally in the next couple years.

There has been much media speculation recently about the company's long-term management plans even though "Alan is not going anywhere anytime too soon," Fields said in an interview. Mulally, who has dodged questions about his retirement plans, guided Ford through layoffs and cutbacks as part of a massive restructuring.

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