Top Ford Recruiter to depart

Joe Laymon, Ford Motor Co.'s top talent recruiter and labor negotiator during the tumultuous past few years for the Dearborn automaker, is leaving Ford for a similar human resources post with Chevron Corp., the nation's second-largest energy company.

Laymon, 55, who was Ford's group vice president of human resources and labor affairs, is being replaced by Felicia Fields, 42, formerly vice president of human resources, who now will be group vice president for human resources and corporate services.

Laymon joined Ford in March 2000 during the reign of former CEO Jacques Nasser and was promoted to vice president of corporate human resources by Chairman Bill Ford about a week after Ford fired Nasser and took over as CEO himself.

Five years later, in what Laymon said Tuesday was "one of the most gracious decisions ever by a CEO," Bill Ford decided to step aside as chief executive while remaining executive chairman. He asked Laymon to help recruit a new world-class CEO to help reverse the iconic company's sagging fortunes. Detroit Free Press