GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED
2017 Goodwood Festival of Speed in focus
The Ford Motor Company has been manufacturing and selling cars in this country for nearly 100 years. Over the last few years, policy changes regarding the vehicle line-up in the United States and South Africa has seen the introduction of a host of new models, particularly the Everest and the new Ranger, which has, for the most part, topped sales charts for a long time.
Heading up the team for the local manufacture of the Ranger for both the local and export markets, was the US based CEO, Jeff Nemeth, a man passionate about cars and motoring, who has relocated back to the United States after a seven-year stay in South Africa. Taking over the challenging MD position is the experienced South African motor man, Dr Casper Kruger, who reports to the President of Ford in the Middle East and Africa, Jacques Brent.
Born in Virginia in the Free State, a province that has produced several successful motor industry leaders, Casper (50) attended school in the Goldfields at the Hentie Cilliers High School in the town, where he was an avid rugby player and had no set idea of what he wanted to do after matriculating.
His father, an engineer in the gold mines, and his mother, a secretary, encouraged him to go to the University of the Free State where he gained his Masters Degree in Business Economics.
This led him to settle in Pretoria with a bursary to study further. In 1996 he received his Doctorate in Marketing from the University of Johannesburg and became a lecturer in marketing at UNISA for five years.
Wanting to practice what he preached, and after much soul searching, Casper was signed up at Toyota South Africa with many opportunities in sales and marketing, and the planning of future products coming from Toyota both locally and overseas.
His successes did not go unnoticed in the motor industry. After ten years at Toyota,
he was approached with an offer to be the General Manager of Ford in Pretoria.
His direct boss, Vice President of Marketing, Sales and Service, was Jacques Brent – now President of Ford Middle East and Africa in Dubai.
Two years later, Casper returned to travelling down the N1 from his home in Pretoria to Johannesburg, to once again join Hino Trucks (part of Toyota) as the Vice President, whereafter he took up the post of Vice President of Sales and Dealer Network for Toyota a few years later.
Eight years later after more success with Toyota, it was back closer to home with Ford at Silverton.
In April 2017, Casper Kruger took over as MD of Ford Motor Company South Africa, reporting to Jacques Brent – once again bringing together a team of top South African motor fundis.
His Masters Degree dissertation dissected various aspects of the South African Motor Industry, a study that has certainly paid off for the new Ford MD. Dr Johan van Zyl, then CEO of Toyota in South Africa – and now Board Member of Toyota International in Japan– greatly influenced his thinking.
Casper’s plans for the future here in South Africa? To maximise the full potential of the Ford Team and to give the best customer care and service of any manufacturer or importer in the country. It’s big talk for the new Ford big gun, especially in the light of recent recalls affecting the brand, but with his extensive experience of the South African motoring landscape, Casper Kruger seems to be the right man for the job right now.