The automotive industry is mourning the passing of former Ford executive Jim O’Connor. O’Connor died Sept. 25 at age 83. His career at Ford Motor Company spanned more than four decades. He rose to lead Ford Division, Lincoln-Mercury and Ford of Canada before retiring in 2004.
On this episode of Inside Automotive, we’re joined by Chris Saraceno, Vice President and Partner at Kelly Automotive Group and was O’Connor’s business partner at Kelly Ford; and David Kain, Kain & Friends podcast and President of Kain Advisory.
Why dealers trusted Jim O’Connor
During today’s conversation, Saraceno recalled a 1998 National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) convention when the room of dealers gave O’Connor a standing ovation. He said, “And then when he walked off stage, everybody wouldn’t stop standing and clapping. And he had to come back out and talk again.”
O’Connor’s standing with dealers traces to his early career. He began in the 1970s as the young Ford Lincoln Mercury representative for the Kelly family, and later spent three years as a general manager at a Kelly store in Atlanta before returning to Ford.
"I would summarize it as a life well lived. He got the most out of life. He had joy. He worked hard. He made people feel good." - Chris Saraceno.
Saraceno believes his time as a general manager made O’Connor a dealer advocate because it showed him how hard dealers work every day. Then after retiring, O’Connor joined the Kelly Automotive Group board of directors. He bought into Kelly Ford in 2010 and became a full partner, Saraceno said.
O’Connor made dealers feel like family
O’Connor put family first and made Ford dealers feel like part of his family, Kain said. In 1999, O’Connor appeased dealers after the Ford Auto Collection program fell apart and Ford began building its own retail network. According to Kain, at an NADA meeting, O’Connor repeatedly called it the Ford Retail Network, and Kain, who was then rising through the ranks at his family’s Ford dealership, raised his hand; O’Connor recognized him and asked what he wanted to say.
"Everybody in the Ford family, including all of us dealers, felt like we were part of Jim's family." - David Kain
O’Connor also reminded dealers that there is no way to do the right thing the wrong way, Saraceno said. He told leaders to focus on the whales, which have the most impact on customers, teams and the business. According to Saraceno, too many dealers get myopic and chase the minnows.
The little things at Kelly Ford
Moreover, Saraceno said that employees at Kelly Ford are heartbroken over O’Connor’s death. O’Connor showed up early to the monthly performance asset review (PAR) meetings at the dealership. He walked the whole complex, greeted people, asked questions, and made sure employees were happy. At those meetings, O’Connor gave four employees $100 for lottery tickets for 10 years, a team member told Saraceno. He told them what to play, and they shared the tickets among their families.
O’Connor’s last meeting with Saraceno and the chief financial officer came on Sept. 8, when he stopped two steps out the door, turned around, and told them he loved Ford and Kelly, Ford. Saraceno noted that O’Connor had never done that before.
A life well lived
According to Kain, O’Connor was a devout Catholic who gave generously to charity and preferred not to talk about it. He loved the Villanova Wildcats and graduated from Villanova University in 1964. He described life in three stages, which Kain said were youth, middle age and grand marquee. He also opened his world to dealers. Kain said O’Connor hosted the 2004 dealer council at his home with his family.
FordDirect and Ford’s digital program would not have gotten off the ground without O’Connor, Kain said. He loved being on the leading edge, and staff printed his emails so he could write notes in reply. During the FordDirect launch, O’Connor pulled Kain aside at a cocktail hour and asked what the “murmur research” showed. “What are they murmuring about?” Kain recalled O’Connor asking. He said O’Connor would be happy to know his friends are murmuring about him now.
