Ford's Mark Fields on Ford's Challenges in North America

The Motley Fool recently had a chance to spend some time talking with Ford's Mark Fields -- and we got it all on video to share with you.

Fields' name may not yet be a familiar one, but it will be: He's currently Ford's chief operating officer. He's essentially running the company on a day-to-day basis, and he's widely expected to take over as CEO when Ford's current chief, Alan Mulally, retires.

If that's the way it ends up going, we think Ford will be in good hands. Fields is very different from Mulally, but he impressed us with his candor and his willingness to share his deep understanding of all corners of Ford's business.

As a way to introduce him to Motley Fool readers, John Rosevear asked him to talk about each of Ford's regional operations in turn. We asked him to give us his view of the outlook for each of Ford's regional businesses for the coming year, and to talk to us about the significant challenges and opportunities facing Ford in different parts of the world.

In this excerpt from the interview, you'll hear Fields talk in depth about Ford's plans for North America in 2014. As Fields says, this is a year of major product launches: Between the new F-150, the new Mustang, and refreshed versions of other products, Ford has a busy year ahead.

We think it's important for Ford shareholders to get a good look at Fields, and we were very pleased to have this opportunity to bring our conversation with him to you. Check out this excerpt from our interview, and then scroll down to leave a comment with your thoughts below.

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The article Ford's Mark Fields on Ford's Challenges in North America originally appeared on Fool.com.

John Rosevear owns shares of Ford. Rex Moore has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Ford. The Motley Fool owns shares of Ford. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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