O'Neill quits Mitsubishi
Takes top job at Reynolds and Reynolds

By Kathy Jackson
Automotive News / January 04, 2005


LOS ANGELES -- Finbarr O'Neill has resigned as CEO of struggling Mitsubishi Motors North America to take the CEO job at dealership software company Reynolds and Reynolds Co.

O'Neill will immediately join Reynolds, of Dayton, Ohio, as president and CEO, the company said. He also will serve on the company's board of directors.

O'Neill, 52, takes over the CEO role from Phil Odeen, who had been acting CEO since Buzz Waterhouse abruptly resigned on July 7, 2004. Odeen remains as Reynolds' chairman.

Sources in and close to Mitsubishi said O'Neill submitted his resignation to the parent company in Japan on Monday, Jan. 3.

O'Neill came to Mitsubishi from Hyundai Motor America in September 2003 and has faced an uphill battle ever since. Sales declined in double digit figures each month since his arrival, and less than half of the company's dealers are profitable.

Company sources say O'Neill also was upset over the December announcement that the company's long-time ad agency, Deutsch Inc., was going up for review. The sources say that parent company Mitsubishi Motors Corp. made the decision to put Deutsch up for review, and that O'Neill was opposed to that move.

O'Neill's resignation follows that of Ian Beavis, senior vice president of marketing and public relations, on Nov. 24 and Diane Hong, the company's advertising director, on Dec. 31.

 

Another hot topic to debate. Many know DaimlerChrysler pulled out of Misubishi last year. Outside the EVO, their lineup is horrible. And quite ugly (is any other carmker overall uglier?). With Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Suburu SURGING, Mitsu might be out for the count. Add the new improved Koreans and outside the EVO, is there any reason for this brand to be around?

 

Stick a Yamaha tuning fork in Mitsu, because they are done-ha.

They have the worst line-up and weakest business case of ANY manufacturer selling cars in North America, and I mean that. The Evo, as good as it is, doesn't matter. But I know Mitsu didn't expect the Evo to do anything for them.

The brand "image," if they still have one, is almost beyond repair. I'll write more later, but I would be **SHOCKED** if the NA automotive operations of Mitsu survive another 10 years...

 

Well, actually, I think you summed it up nicely here, as you have a knack for doing so. I challenge anyone to come up with just that, a REASON, for Mitsu to be around.

Not like Mitsu proper is actually concerned about it. I mean, they should have seen this coming. Mitsu is involved in everything from banking to mining/exploration. The corporation as a whole has been severely plauged by scandals, coverups, resignations, finance issues, etc. It's a mess. When a big Japanese company is having problems like this in JAPAN, it isn't a good sign. Besides, the Motor Division is a small part of the operation anyway, and Mitsu would be probably be just as happy to literally write the whole thing off. They are the only Japanese car company that is not profitable. That alone should send up red flags and be a reason to sound the death knell. And you KNOW it's bad when Mitsu's internal banks won't loan the Motors people money. The Motors Division is like a bastard, red-headed stepchild in a wealthy disfunctional family, a kid who takes money (lots of money, mind you) and spends it on crack and gummy bears. Then, one day, they get cut off and even their friends don't want anything to do with them...Ending up with nothing to offer, and no reason to exist. Fortunately, dysfunctional families with crackhead kids have therapy and counseling. A punk automotive company really doesn't have that luxury and, especially in this case, it wouldn't do much good even if they did.

I can't find one nice thing to say about Mitsu...Not even the Evo can justify their existence. They have no direction, no vision, no core, and haven't gotten a single thing right since the mid-90s. Ha, Mitsu admits that they can't keep producing SUVs because they don't have the money to develop them to the government specs that will go into place in the future. They have no hybrid on the horizon, unlike every other Japanese make. They had to suspend motorsport operations. Their stupid "See What Happens" ads, hawking the Galant as being somehow superior to Accord and Camry, obviously didn't work. I could go on...

Come on, someone needs to step up to the plate and defend Mitsu just to make this interesting...

 

Oh my...you have me dying over here, I think I might be crying.

We all know a special interest car cannot save a car company when they're in serious trouble. Look what the mix of 300, Magnum, Crossfire, and all other HEMI products have done for Chrysler, it wasn't JUST the 300. The EVO will need a refreshening/power upgrade and they'll just say "nope, that's all folks". After that they will pull a black hole and simply implode on themselves, sending those 3 diamonds into oblivion. About saying something nice...

It's not like the CEOs stole from the company and the entire management went to s***...oh, wait, nevermind.

James

 

Poetic! What could Mitsu fans say?

What is sad is, the EVO is loved worldwide and is considered basically THE sports sedan to buy for the money. So they can make great cars.

 

so whats all this crap in their commercials that they were the fastest growing car company in the world???? Just a bunch of marketing BS???

 

I'll continue the dicussion tomorrow, but I just noticed this thread has over 1100 views?! Bling??!

 

hey, i write with Mitsubishi pens(Uni-*****, not the ad pens!)!

and Mitsubishi is a BIG company, i didn't know they owned Nikon, Asahi Glass, Nikken, and lots of other companies until I read this: http://www.mitsubishi.com/php/users/...rch.php?lang=1

 

Well, I'm not going to be too harsh but I never did like mitsu. I don't know too much about their history but it seems like they have noidentity. They were just either refreshed/influenced/ or copy (here we go again ) of another vehicle:
esp endeavor(the 1st one that sicklex post up)= jeep grand cherokee.
Seems like they were always one step behind, playing catch-up.

Correct me if I'm wrong (mmarshall and other writers) that Nissan saved themselves by introducing the new Altima, then took off with their new Maxima, then the G35 exploded?

The only vehicle I thought was different was the 3000GT , at least better looking than the dodge Stealth.

 

Nissan didn't really save themselves...it basically took Renault's money to do it.
Even then, Nissan / Renault economized too much on newer Nissan products...especially the interiors. Fortunately (to their credit) they kept the 3.5L V6....an outstanding engine....and did what Toyota should have done and still hasn't....introduce a TRUE full-sized truck (Titan). The Toyota Tundra is marketed as a full-sizer but in fact is not. It fools no one...in reality it is a 7/8 scale truck.

I actually think that Izusu will leave the U.S. market or go out of buisness before Mitsubishi does. (I did a thread on this several months ago). Isuzu is down to just one product sold in America...the Ascender, which is not even an Isuzu product to start with but a rebadged Chevy Trail Blazer. Mitsu at least has a more or less complete line of vehicles to fall back on, even if the Diamante is gone.
The very first thing the company needs to do is crank up Evo production. Demand currently exceeds supply....a situation deliberately brought on by the the car's limited-production status. (Same with the STi). This car can bring in the bucks if Mitsu will only build enough. Second, they need a complete overhaul of the management at the Diamond Star plant at Normal, IL...a plant shared with Chrysler. That plant has had everything from quality problems to sexual harassment to racial suits to you-name-it. It is one of the worst auto plants in the industry.
Third.....and only he can make this decision (we can't). O'Neill should reconsider his resignation. The company, IMO, still needs him. He worked wonders at Hyundai before he left for Mitsubishi. Hyundai's by-now-famous turnaround was mostly due to his leadership and the sense of pride he helped instill in the company's managers and employes. There is a BIG job still left at Mitsubishi for him to do. He is an honest chief who needs to toss out the corrupt Indians, find honest ones, light up the peace pipe, and have a big company powwow.

 

Mitsu's current line-up is nowhere near as bad as Saturn's. Saturn lives on customer service and almost nothing else....because in the last 5 years GM management has ruined Saturn's exclusivity in an attempt to make it just another GM division (perhaps to replace Olds). Saturn's newest vehicle...the Relay.....doesn't even have plastic panels anymore.

 

The Evo will not save Mitsubishi and is a non-issue in the grand scheme of things. I would buy a Saturn before I buy a Mitsubishi. At least Saturn has good service.

Dude probably left the company because he saw it was hopeless. Mitsubishi Motors don't have a leg to stand on. I think you've oversimplified it, mmarshall. I can't see any way to fix Mitsubishi or, more importantly, any REASON to. The market is simply too crowed and there are too many other worthy alternatives.

 

Bingo, this is correct

 

Nope, bug in the new forum software I suspect. I never viewed this nor responded to it and yet it ended up as one of my subscribed threads.