Ford Motor Co. is seeking a replacement for its chief financial officer Allan Gilmour seven months after he came out of retirement to take the job, according to a Financial Times online news story today.

Although Mr Gilmour, 68, had not been expected to stay in the post for more than about two years, news that preparations are already being made for his departure is likely to unsettle investors.

Mr Gilmour, a former career Ford executive, is the fourth person in that job in the last three years.

"Four CFOs in that period is not very good. The stability of the financial team is very important and they don't seem to have it right now," said one New York-based analyst.