Ford Announces Senior Leadership Team Changes

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) has recently announced changes within its senior leadership team to further strengthen delivery of the One Ford plan for profitable growth.

The company is announcing that Ray Day is appointed Group Vice President, Communications. He has led the Communications team as its vice president for the past five years.

Continuing to report to Ford Chief Operating Officer Mark Fields, Day remains responsible for the company’s global external and internal communications and public relations activities. His role includes building Ford’s reputation globally and leading communications that reach customers, employees, dealers, suppliers, news media, communities, governments and policy-makers.

“Ray Day is a proven global leader who continues to take the company’s communications capabilities and the telling of our Ford story to increasingly higher levels,” said Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally. “Ray and his team are ensuring that everyone associated with Ford understands our One Ford plan and the progress we are making delivering profitable growth.”

The company today also is announcing that Elena Ford is elected a Ford Motor Company vice president and leader of the company’s new Global Dealer and Consumer Experience organization. She previously was director of the company’s Global Marketing Operations.
In the new role, Elena Ford will report to Jim Farley, Executive Vice President, Global Marketing, Sales, Service and Lincoln.
The new Global Dealer and Consumer Experience organization is being created to take the company’s dealers and consumers’ experiences with dealers to the next level. This includes global standards and best-practice sharing for planning, training and customer interaction at both the dealer level and within the company.
In addition, the new organization will be responsible for the Marketing, Sales and Service interface for Ford’s global order-to-delivery system, which is a company-wide effort to improve vehicle quality and delivery time from the factory to dealers and customers. The goal is to streamline the company’s current multiple global IT systems into a lean, efficient and fast-paced vehicle ordering and delivery process for customers and dealers going forward.

“Our new Global Dealer and Consumer Experience organization is the next step in our One Ford plan for profitable growth,” Farley said. “Our new vehicles today are recognized around the world as leading in quality, fuel efficiency, safety, smart design and value. Now, we plan to bring that same standard of excellence to the dealer experience for our Ford and Lincoln customers worldwide.

“Elena Ford is the perfect leader to work with our global dealers and to help realize the opportunity we have in upgrading the consumer experience there,” Farley continued. “Elena has extensive experience in global marketing, and her passion for our dealers is well-known around the world.”

Both appointments are effective March 1.