Changes of the Week

P:Ernest Robert Breech, 63, resigned as chairman of the board of the Ford Motor Co. after 14 years with the company, which he helped to turn from a moneyloser into the most profitable (on a per-share earnings basis) of the Big Three automakers. Taking over as board chairman for the time being is Ford President Henry Ford II, 42, who also continues as president. Breech, who will remain as a Ford director and chairman of the finance committee, has for three years wanted to "decelerate" at Ford after what he describes as "more than 40 years of an extremely active business life." Breech, a onetime General Motors vice president, in 1946 left the presidency of Bendix Aviation Corp. to join Ford as executive vice president. He reorganized production, boosted prices, brought in new executives, became board chairman in 1955. Since the company prefers to have a Ford in the presidency for the prestige of the name, Henry Ford will probably keep the presidency, not the chairmanship. Likely prospect as new chairman: austere, brainy Ford Vice President Robert Strange McNamara, 44. P:Edward Herman Little, 79, retired as chief executive officer of Colgate-Palmolive Co., a post he has held since 1938. He will remain chairman of the board. Succeeding Little as chief executive is George Henry Lesch, 50, who was elected Colgate president last April. Little joined Colgate 58 years ago as a salesman, made his reputation by selling overseas. Today the company's 42 foreign branches account for half its sales of $600 million, more than half its last year's profits of $25 million. Like Little, New Boss Lesch has spent much of his 30 years with Colgate abroad, chiefly in Mexico and Europe, was president of Colgate-Palmolive International when made president last April.

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