John Krafcik is without question one of the most successful automotive CEOs of recent years, having led Hyundai America to stunning growth over the past five years with a 75 percent jump in sales volume. Surprisingly, Hyundai closed out 2013 by announcing Krafcik’s departure.
During Krafcik’s tenure the product lineup was revamped and expanded, helping the brand migrate from one known mainly for value to a serious competitor to the market leaders from Detroit and Japan.
Unfortunately, the final 18 months of his term was tarnished by the controversial overstating of EPA fuel economy estimates. Krafcik’s departure came just days after a $400 million settlement of legal claims.
So where does Krafcik land next?
Back to Dearborn?
Prior to Hyundai, Krafcik spent 14 years at Ford where a management shuffle may be imminent. Despite non-denial, denials from Ford, CEO Alan Mulally, continues to be named among the top candidates to take over Microsoft, with current chief operating officer Mark Fields expected to take the helm next.
While it seems like a step backwards, Krafcik could conceivably return to Ford as COO where he would have more direct control over Ford and its products than as the head of the American branch of a Korean company.
Both Krafcik and Fields are in their early-50s, so Fields is likely to remain the CEO of Ford for many years to come. Krafcik may be interested in taking what looks like a dead-end job if also got control of Lincoln. Although Ford remains publicly committed to Lincoln, not much has really been done to revive the brand.
If Ford agreed to give him the real responsibility and a product budget that Jim Farley lacks, Krafcik might just see this as a golden opportunity to prove his worth. Of course that might also trigger the departure of marketing chief Farley. Will Ford and Krafcik see this as a trade-up? Possibly.
Auburn Hills?
Since taking control of Chrysler from bankruptcy in 2009, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has managed both automakers, regularly commuting between offices in Turin, Italy and Auburn Hills, Mich. While Chrysler has continued to surprise with product updates since nearly collapsing, it hasn’t always executed as well as hoped. Sales of the Dodge Dart have underwhelmed and delays to the launch of the Jeep Cherokee have hurt.
A full-time local CEO probably couldn’t hurt Chrysler’s chances of success as it rolls out new mid-sized cars, minivans, and trucks. Krafcik’s operations and product experience, would probably make him a great fit for Chrysler, but would Marchionne be willing to cede control of the American side of the company?
Back to Silicon Valley?
The most intriguing possibility would be at Tesla Motors. Elon Musk has given no public indication that he’s going anywhere, but there are signs that it may be time to give up day-to-day control.
A serial entrepreneur, Musk has dipped into widely divergent fields from online payments to solar power to vehicles to space travel to the hyperloop. Musk has been full-time CEO of both Tesla and SpaceX since 2008.
Under Musk’s leadership, both companies have successfully launched new products and are approaching the critical mass they need for long-term survival. Now both companies could probably benefit from a full-time leader to lead long-term growth and it’s not clear that Musk would necessarily want to be that person.
Krafcik has history in Silicon Valley having earned his Mechanical Engineering degree from Stanford and then working at the former NUMMI GM-Toyota joint venture plant in Fremont, Calif which now builds the Model S and soon the Model X crossover.
Tesla needs to drive down its manufacturing costs in order to achieve sustainable profitability without relying on the sales of zero emissions credits. Krafcik’s experience could be exactly what’s needed to establish the company for the long-term.
This would allow Musk to step back to his previous role as chairman and chief product architect. Think of Musk and Krafcik as the automotive equivalent of Steve Jobs and Tim Cook as they took Apple from a company that was nearly bankrupt in the late-1990s to one of the most valuable companies in the world.
