Big Three Auto Executives 2022: Ford Motor Co.

William Clay Ford Jr.
Executive Chairman, Chairman of the Board of Directors

Ford has been a member of the company’s board of directors since 1988 and has been chairman since Jan. 1, 1999. Under his leadership, Ford Motor Co. has taken aggressive steps to improve the efficiency and focus of its traditional automotive business. At the same time, it is accelerating its efforts to be the most trusted provider of smart vehicles and mobility services. Ford serves as chairman of the board’s Finance Committee and was CEO from 2001 to 2006. During that time, he took the company from a $5.5 billion loss to profitability.

James D. Farley Jr.
President and CEO

Farley became president and CEO of Ford in October 2020, and in March 2022 he took on the additional role of president, Ford Model e, the division created in March 2022 that specializes in electric and connected vehicles and services. He’s also a member of Ford’s board of directors. As CEO, Farley is focused on deployment of the ambitious, customer- focused Ford+ plan for growth and value creation. Primary elements of the plan include innovation and delivery of breakthrough electric vehicles and the development of software and connected vehicles.

Jon Huntsman
Vice Chair, Policy

Huntsman advises Jim Farley, Ford president and CEO, and Executive Chair Bill Ford as the company considers and implements strategic policy choices during a period of profound industry change, including the transition to zero-emission battery electric vehicles. He’s also a member of Ford’s board of directors. Huntsman works closely with company teams across a range of disciplines, especially government relations; the office of the general counsel; and sustainability, environment, and safety engineering. He represents Ford with government officials.

Steven Armstrong
Vice President, India & South America Transformation

Armstrong was named to this post in March 2022. He leads the evaluation of capital allocations to India and is overseeing the conclusion of the restructuring of Ford’s South America business. Previously, as president of the Changan Ford joint venture in China, Armstrong led the manufacture, marketing, selling, and servicing of Ford products. He also served as chairman of Ford of Europe and earlier, as group vice president and president, he transformed and led Ford’s Europe, Middle East and Africa business units.

Anning Chen
President and CEO, Ford China

Chen leads the company’s operations in greater China, including all import and joint venture operations, and is implementing the company’s global strategy and leading China’s future development. Chen is a 25-year auto industry veteran with extensive expertise in leading transformation, establishing alliances and joint ventures, and developing competitive products for China. He was CEO of Chery Automobile Ltd., China, as well as chairman of the board of directors for Chery Jaguar Land Rover Automotive, China.

Diane Craig
President, International Markets Group, Ford Blue

Effective as of March 2022, Craig is responsible for leading the business unit operations — including dealers and distributor markets — in more than 100 countries across Africa, ASEAN, India, the Middle East and Australia, and New Zealand. Prior to this position, Craig was CEO at FordDirect, where she led the team responsible for bringing together the worlds of digital, data, and technology to deliver best-in-class marketing and advertising solutions to Ford and Lincoln dealers. She also served as president and CEO of Ford of Canada.

Joy Falotico
President, The Lincoln Motor Co.

Falotico is responsible for leading the continued evolution of Lincoln as a world-class luxury brand and oversees all Lincoln operations globally, including product development, marketing, sales, and service, and all team members supporting the brand. She was previously chairman and chief executive officer, Ford Motor Credit Co., with worldwide responsibility for leading the global financial services business that supports Ford dealers and customers, along with the sale of Ford and Lincoln vehicles. She’s involved in the American Financial Services Association.

Kumar Galhotra
President, Ford Blue

Prior to this role, which he took on in March 2022, Galhotra was president of the Americas & International Markets Group, with responsibility for the profit and loss of its business units, including the newly established commercial vehicle business unit for the U.S. and Canada. He has also served as president, North America, leading all aspects of Ford’s North American business, and group vice president, Lincoln, overseeing all Lincoln operations globally, including product development; marketing, sales, and service.

Marion Harris
President and CEO, Ford Motor Credit Co.

Harris is responsible for a leading financial services provider for dealers and customers around the world in support of Ford Motor Co. sales. Prior to this, as vice president of Ford’s Mobility Business Group, he was responsible for the connected services businesses of Ford Commercial Solutions and FordPass, as well as Chariot and GoRide Health. Previously, Harris served as chief financial officer and treasurer at Ford Credit, responsible for the financial planning, analysis, and accounting operations.

Stuart Rowley
Chief Transformation and Quality Officer

Appointed in March 2022, Rowley is responsible for driving quality as a reason that customers around the world choose a Ford, and leading improved efficiency, reduced complexity, and achievement of a lean, fully competitive cost structure across the enterprise. He’s also chair of Ford of Europe. Rowley reports to Jim Farley, Ford president and CEO. Prior to his current assignment, for three years he was vice president and president, Ford of Europe, responsible for all operational leadership of the regional business unit.

Lyle Watters
General Manager, Ford Passenger Vehicle Division, Ford China

Watters and his team are accountable for broadening Ford’s appeal to and enhancing the experience of customers with products and services, many of them developed in-country for Chinese consumers. Previously, as president, South America and International Markets Group, Watters was responsible for all Ford operations in South America, which is now part of the International Markets Group. He also served as CFO and vice president, finance and strategic planning, for Ford of Europe.

Mike Amend
Chief Enterprise Technology Officer

Amend leads Ford’s Technology and Software Platform, comprising Enterprise Information Technology along with Global Data Insight and Analytics.  His team helps the company use data, software, and technology to drive growth and create value for customers and other stakeholders by translating the needs of those customers into engaging solutions. They work closely with Ford teams that handle product development and the hardware and software that goes into vehicles. Amend came to Ford from Lowe’s, where he was president, online.

Ted Cannis
CEO, Ford Pro

The global Ford Pro business and brand are dedicated to delivering the world’s most comprehensive suite of solutions to government and commercial customers of all sizes to help accelerate productivity, improve uptime, and lower operating costs through connected services and work-ready gas and electric vehicles. As a one-stop shop, Ford Pro provides a platform of software, charging, financing, and customer support to serve commercial customers of all sizes and industries, and will help lead the transition from gas to electric vehicles.

Steven Croley
Chief Policy Officer, General Counsel

Croley guides the company as it leverages and builds on its strengths in government relations, sustainability, safety, legal, and privacy matters. Before coming to Ford, Croley was a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Latham & Watkins, where he assisted clients with legal policy and regulatory compliance, with an emphasis on energy and the environment. From 2014 to 2017, he served as general counsel for the U.S. Department of Energy. Croley spent the previous four years in the White House, and was a special assistant to President Barack Obama.

Suzy Deering
Global Chief Marketing Officer

Deering oversees e-commerce and digital strategy, as well as go-to-market for Ford Blue while supporting the forward vision for Ford Model e. Since joining Ford in 2021, she has directed the company’s day-to-day marketing in North America, and she drives strategic direction and collaboration between marketing teams in Ford’s business units in Europe, China, South America, and the International Markets Group to enhance and release the value within Ford’s brands. Previously, she was  global chief marketing officer at eBay.

Lisa Drake
Vice President, EV Industrialization, Ford Model e

As of March 2022, Drake reports to Doug Field, chief EV and digital systems officer, Ford Model e. Previously, as chief operating officer, North America, she was responsible for bringing enhanced focus to product launches, warranty reduction, and material cost improvements. Earlier, as vice president, global purchasing, Drake was responsible for all category management processes and procurement functions across direct and indirect purchasing areas, as well as supplier technical assistance.

Doug Field
Chief EV and Digital Systems Officer, Ford Model e

Field was appointed to this position in March 2022. Previously, as Ford’s chief advanced technology and embedded systems officer, he was responsible for the embedded software and hardware organization, driving the design, development, and implementation of Blue Oval Intelligence features for Ford, Lincoln, and Ford Pro products. Field joined Ford from Apple, where he served as vice president, special projects. Before that, he was senior vice president of engineering at Tesla, where he led the development of the Model 3.

Elena A. Ford
Chief Customer Experience Officer, Ford Blue

As of March 2022, Ford leads the organization responsible for creating a world-class customer experience throughout the entire ownership cycle. She reports to Kumar Galhotra, president, Ford Blue. She has also been responsible for integrating the work of the Ford Customer Service Division, the quality organization, sales and marketing, and the global dealer network to more tightly connect the interactions between Ford and its customers worldwide. She continues to be closely integrated with the sales organization.

Marin Gjaja
Chief Customer Officer, Ford Model e

Effective as of March 2, 2022, Gjaja leads Ford Model e’s customer experience organization, including marketing, sales, distribution, service, and charging. He’s part of the founding team at Ford Model e, and his team will work with Ford’s dealers globally to develop and deploy all aspects of the new customer experience for Ford’s electric vehicle portfolio. Many of the innovations and capabilities around e-commerce, pricing, remote test driving, and personalized delivery and service will be applied over time across the entire Ford business.

John Lawler
Chief Financial Officer

Lawler has overall responsibility for Ford’s finance functions including accounting, financial planning and analysis, treasury, tax, investor relations, economics, and audit, as well as the Ford Credit business. He succeeds Tim Stone, who left Ford to serve as COO and CFO at ASAPP Inc., an artificial intelligence software company. Lawler was previously CEO, Ford Autonomous Vehicles, LLC, and vice president. mobility partnerships. He also  served as vice president, strategy, overseeing corporate strategy, business development, and more.

Kiersten Robinson
General Manager, Family Vehicles; President, Mexico and Canada, Ford Blue

Robinson was appointed in May 2022 to Ford Blue, the global business unit that oversees Ford’s internal combustion vehicles, including the Explorer, Expedition, and Everest SUVs. Prior to this assignment, she served as Ford’s senior human resources officer from 2018 to 2022, leading the development, alignment, and applications of Ford’s strategic enterprise capabilities through strong, diverse teams in support of the company’s business priorities and progressive employee and workplace experiences.

Hau Thai-Tang
Chief Industrial Platform Officer

Set to retire Oct. 1, Thai-Tang has held this position since March 2022. He was Ford’s chief product platform and operations officer since 2020. Earlier, as Ford’s chief product development and purchasing officer, he had global responsibility for all aspects of the company’s design, engineering, and development, as well as purchasing operations. Thai-Tang led the development of Ford’s award-winning product lineup including the Mustang Mach-E, Bronco, Maverick, and F-150 Lightning.

Mark Truby
Chief Communications Officer

Truby leads Ford’s global communications and public relations activities, including building the company’s reputation globally among customers, employees, dealers, suppliers, news media, communities, governments, and policymakers. He reports to Jim Farley, Ford CEO. Truby joined Ford in 2007 as director of global corporate communications. He has also served as communications director for Bill Ford; VP, communications, Ford Europe, Middle East, and Africa; and, most recently, vice president, communications, Ford Asia Pacific.

Jennifer Waldo
Chief People and Employee Experiences Officer

Appointed in April 2022, Waldo contributes to the global deployment and success of the Ford+ strategic plan for growth and value creation by leading the development of a high-performance culture, recruiting people with additional and needed new kinds of talent, and boosting overall organizational capability, especially in technology and innovation. She reports to Ford President and CEO Jim Farley. Before joining Ford, Waldo led change in highly regarded companies, spending 10 years in Silicon Valley.

Dave Webb
Treasurer

Webb is responsible for Ford’s global treasury strategy and operations.  He reports to John Lawler, Ford’s CFO. From June 2017 to December 2018, he served as assistant treasurer for Ford and had responsibility for Ford’s global capital markets, banking, capital strategy, affiliate finance, risk management, and treasury operations. Before this, as director of funding, he was responsible for Ford and Ford Credit’s global funding programs and issuance strategy. This included managing Ford Credit’s unsecured commercial paper and financing programs.

Jim Baumbick
Vice President, Industrial Platform, Operations and New Model Launch, Ford Blue

Baumbick has held this position since March of 2022. Previously, as vice president, Enterprise Product Line Management, he was responsible for global product strategy and planning, as well as leading the global product line teams to deliver products customers really want and value, and to drive end-to-end business results. Earlier, Baumbick served as executive director of Global Product Planning and Strategy, where he developed new capital allocation and cycle planning processes.

Kieran Cahill
Vice President, Industrial Operations Europe & International Markets Group, Ford Blue

Cahill, appointed to this position in March 2022, reports to Kumar Galhotra, president of Ford Blue. Prior to this role, he was vice president, manufacturing, Ford of Europe, and was named board chair for Ford Motor Co. Ltd. Cahill also served as director, manufacturing, strategic projects, Ford of Europe, and director, manufacturing, U.K. and Romania. He was director, Ford of Europe powertrain operations.

David Filipe
Vice President, Vehicle Hardware Modules

Filipe has been in this role since March of 2022. Previously, as vice president, vehicle hardware modules, he led hardware development and systems integration of exterior, interior, underbody, internal-combustion powertrain, and electrified modules. He reports to Hau Thai-Tang, chief product development and purchasing officer. Filipe has held various positions within product development and has been in several global leadership roles including director of global engine engineering. He also was director of transmission and driveline engineering.

Andrew Frick
Vice President, Sales, Distribution and Trucks, Ford Blue

Frick took on this position in March 2022. Previously he was vice president sales, field operations, market representation, customer care, and dealer relations for the Ford brand in the U.S. and Canada. He succeeds Mark LaNeve, who left the company. Frick also was director of U.S. sales, and director, marketing, and led the implementation of the Ford brand communication and product marketing strategic plan. His earlier assignments included manager of marketing, sales, and service for Lincoln.

Chuck Gray
Vice President, EV Technology, Ford Model e

Gray’s current role became effective in March 2022. Previously, as vice president, vehicle embedded software and controls, he led the development of vehicle embedded software, vehicle controls, embedded connectivity technology, advanced driver assist technologies and systems, and vehicle cybersecurity. Earlier, he was vice president of vehicle components and systems engineering, and central to the company’s commitment to develop Ford and Lincoln vehicles with quality, fuel efficiency, safety, smart technology, and value for customers.

Bob Holycross
Vice President, Sustainability, Environment & Safety Engineering

As Ford’s top environment and safety officer, Holycross is responsible for implementing sustainable best practices throughout Ford and leading its global environment and safety, strategy, and policy. Previously he was director, sustainability, homologation, and compliance.  Holycross formerly served as vice president of sustainability, environment, and safety engineering for Ford of Europe, Middle East, and Africa, where he ensured compliance with government regulations.

Jonathan Jennings
Vice President, Supply Chain

Jennings has been in this position since March 2022. Beginning in 2020, he was vice president, global commodity purchasing and supplier technical assistance, and was  responsible for all production procurement, together with quality and launch performance of the supply base through the company’s supplier technical assistance program. Previously, as executive director, global commodity purchasing, Jennings oversaw production commodity purchasing, strategic planning, material cost, and production supplier cost performance.

Anthony Lo
Vice President, Design

Since joining Ford in 2021, Lo has been responsible for creating a lineup of products and services that are unique, authentic, and true to Ford’s values as customers expect smarter, increasingly connected, and increasingly electric vehicles. He worked at Groupe Renault in Paris for the past 10 years, most recently as VP, exterior design. He was instrumental in the development of the company’s Cycle of Life design strategy, which was the basis for a series of award-winning concept cars. From 2004 to 2010, was director of advanced design for GM Europe.

Franck Louis-Victor
Vice President, New Business, Ford Next

Prior to this appointment in March 2022, Louis-Victor was vice president, new businesses platform, where he was responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive strategic plan that included the company’s existing and emerging portfolio of capabilities in areas like autonomous vehicles and mobility services. His team nurtured new ideas through Ford’s incubator, Ford X, and accelerated the development of disruptive technologies in areas that enable and enhance always-on relationships with customers. Prior to joining Ford in 2021, he worked at Groupe Renault.

David McLelland
Vice President, Strategy and Partnerships

McClelland leads corporate strategy, business development, and global data insights and analytics. He’s also chairman of the Ford Motor Credit Co. board of directors. Prior to this appointment, McClelland was CEO of Ford Motor Credit Co., Ford’s global provider of financial products and services for dealers and customers. He had served as Ford Credit executive vice president of marketing and Asia Pacific, overseeing global marketing and Ford Credit’s business in China and India.  He joined Ford Credit Britain in 1993, then Ford Credit South Africa.

Cathy O’Callaghan
Vice President, Controller

O’Callaghan had served as chief financial officer, Ford South America, since 2015. In that position she was responsible for all Ford finance activities in Ford South America, including operations finance, profit analysis, treasury, tax, accounting, and internal control. Prior to working in South America, O’Callaghan held a number of key leadership positions at Ford of Europe, including finance director for product development, controller of European manufacturing operations and logistics, and finance director of Ford of Britain. She joined Ford in 1990.

Darren Palmer
Vice President, Electrical Vehicle Programs, Ford Model e

Palmer’s current position became effective in March 2022. Previously, he was general manager, Ford Battery Electric Vehicles, where he was responsible for leading the EV business in North America, including implementing a $22 billion transformation of the EV portfolio. He was a founding member of Team Edison, an internal startup created to determine where to play and how to win in electric vehicles. The first product resulting from this new approach is the Mustang Mach E, the all-new, ground-up electric car.

John Savona
Vice President, Americas Manufacturing and Labor Affairs, Ford Blue

Since March 2022, Savona has been responsible for Ford’s North American manufacturing footprint of more than 30 plants. He succeeds Gary Johnson, who retired. Previously, as Ford’s director of global manufacturing quality, Savona was responsible for ensuring continuous quality improvement in the company’s worldwide manufacturing facilities. He began his career with Ford in 1989 as a security officer at the company’s Wayne assembly plant.  Savona has a bachelor’s degree from EMU and a master’s from CMU.

Frederiek Toney
Vice President, Ford Customer Service Division, Ford Blue

Set to retire Dec. 1, Toney has been in this role since March 2022. He works with hundreds of Ford dealerships worldwide. He joined Ford in 2000 and has held leadership positions in logistics, operations, and parts and service. He served as executive director, global material planning and logistics. Before joining Ford, Toney spent 23 years at Caterpillar Inc. and American Honda. In 2012, Black Enterprise magazine named Toney one of the “100 Most Powerful Executives in Corporate America.” He has an MBA from the University of La Verne.

Trevor Worthington
Vice President, ICE Product Programs

Prior to this appointment in March 2022, Worthington had led global product development operations and vehicle programs, where he oversaw  Ford’s global vehicle programs and was also responsible for coordinating the company’s product development resources to bring new products to market. He has responsibility for driving competitive material costs and engineering expenses throughout the development cycle. Worthington earlier served as vice president, product development, for Asia Pacific. 

Ford Motor Co. Board of Directors

Ford Motor Co.’s board of directors can be viewed here.