Mondragon, 47, will succeed Barry Engle, who announced last week that he is leaving the company to serve as president and CEO of New Holland Agricultural Equipment S.p.A., a unit of CNH Global N.V., effective Sept. 8.

Mondragon assumes leadership of Ford of Canada as the company introduces its expanded 2009 model lineup and commits to being the best or among the best in fuel economy with every new Ford product in its segment.

During his successful 23-year career, Mondragon has served in a variety of leadership roles within Ford's sales and marketing organization.

"It's an exciting time to join Ford of Canada as we accelerate plans to introduce new fuel-efficient vehicles, especially small cars and crossovers, which are exactly what Canadian consumers are asking for," Mondragon said. "I look forward to working closely with the Ford of Canada dealers to ensure we are not only meeting, but exceeding, customer expectations as we introduce the new products."

Mondragon currently serves as general manager for the Southwest Region, Ford's largest U.S. sales region.

Mondragon began his Ford career in an entry-level administrative job at the Edison (N.J.) Assembly Plant and moved on to serve in a variety of management positions in areas such as marketing programs, field operations, contests and incentives, and sales training. As manager of marketing programs and strategy, Mondragon directed national incentive programs and led the strategy for more than 80 auto shows across the U.S.

"David is the right person to lead Ford of Canada as we launch our new model year. Ford's 2009 product lineup is the best we've ever produced and David has a proven track record of connecting with customers, energizing employees and partnering with our dealers to help drive sales," said Dave Schoch, executive director of Canada and South America, Ford Motor Company.

"I want to sincerely thank Barry for his many contributions to the Ford Motor Company and to wish him well in his new role," Schoch said.

Engle took over as Ford president just eight months ago. Engle, a Pennsylvania native, will return to New Holland, Pa., with his wife and six children to take over at New Holland Agricultural Equipment S.p.A.

"Leading Ford of Canada has been one of the best experiences of my career and it's very difficult to leave a team that is so committed to its customers and to building future success," Engle said.

During Engle's tenure, Ford Motor Co. has been restructuring and streamlining jobs to deal with a sales slump and rising competition from Japanese rivals.

Most recently, Ford of Canada retreated on its plans to add a third shift at the Oakville assembly plant to build the crossovers MKS, Edge and Flex models.

That decision left 350 new recruits without jobs, since it was made just prior to training.