Mr Day was previously executive vice-president of manufacturing at Ford and Mazda’s Auto Alliance Thailand (AAT) joint venture, which builds the Australian-developed Ranger ute and Everest SUV for the South-East Asian and Oceania markets, and where his responsibilities included both powertrain and vehicle assembly.
Mr Day’s career at Ford spans 35 years, starting in January 1985 as an apprentice motor mechanic in Geelong.
He soon moved up the ranks to service adviser and was the production supervisor at the Geelong assembly plant by 1995.
Two years later he was appointed production system co-ordinator for both the Geelong and Broadmeadows production facilities, and from 1998 to 2009 moved through a variety of senior manufacturing roles at Ford Australia spanning press operations, material planning and logistics, and trim production.
Mr Day’s overseas assignments started in South Africa in 2009 as transformation manager and subsequently assistant plant manager/lean manufacturing manager at the Silverton plant.
At the end of 2013 he relocated to Thailand as manufacturing adviser to AAT, before stepping up to his most recent role as executive vice-president of manufacturing.
“We are delighted to welcome Tim back to South Africa as the new plant manager for Silverton,” said Ford Middle East and Africa vice-president of operations Ockert Berry.
“Tim has gained vast experience in the Ford manufacturing world, specifically with the Ranger and Everest programs.
“This will be a great asset to our South African operations which supplies the domestic market and exports to more than 100 markets around the world.”
Mr Day went to Geelong East Tech before joining Ford in the early 1980s, and later added a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Deakin University.
As overseer of the Silverton plant, where the Ford Ranger is also built, Mr Day has taken over from Ramon Garcia who has returned to Spain as assistant plant manager at Ford’s vehicle assembly plant in Valencia.
By Terry Martin
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