Ford of Britain
On 1 August 1965 he was appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at Ford of Britain in succession to J. Allen Barke. In 1967 he was appointed additionally a Vice-President of the Ford Motor Company: at this time he relinquished his job as managing Director at Ford of Britain, being succeeded by Leonard Crossland. Gillen moved to become Chairman and president of a new entity named Ford of Europe Inc, while retaining a Directorship at Ford of Britain. By this time the launch of the new Ford Escort, which would become the first post-war for to be manufactured and marketed simultaneously by Ford of Britain and Ford of Germany, was less than a year away. In 1971 Gillen retired from his senior positions at Ford.