Barb Samardzich, COO Ford of Europe, to Retire

Posted on 18 July 2016 by Ken Zino

AutoInformed.comBarb Samardzich, vice president and chief operating officer, Ford of Europe, will retire on Oct 1 after more than 26 years. Samardzich, 57, has served in several leadership positions at Ford in the U.S. and Europe. As chief operating officer since November 2013, she has overseen many of Ford of Europe’s operations, including Manufacturing, Quality, Product Development, Purchasing, and Sustainability, Environment & Safety Engineering.

Prior to her current role, Samardzich was vice president, Product Development, Ford of Europe. She also served in officer level positions overseeing Global Product Programs and Powertrain Engineering. During her career, Samardzich was responsible for the design, engineering and development of several key Ford and Lincoln vehicles, including the 2005 model Mustang.

“Over the course of her career, she was instrumental in developing our global powertrain lineup, along with guiding the design and engineering of many Ford vehicles including Mustang and F-Series Super Duty. We are grateful for her many contributions and strong leadership over the years,” said Mark Fields, Ford president and CEO.

Succeeding Samardzich will be Steven Armstrong, 52, who is named vice president and chief operating officer, Ford of Europe, effective Sept. 1. Armstrong currently is president, Ford South America, a position in which he has served since January 2014. In his new role, he will report to Jim Farley, Ford executive vice president and president, Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Succeeding Armstrong is Lyle Watters, 51, who is named vice president, Ford Motor Company and president, Ford South America, effective Aug. 1. Watters will be responsible for leading all Ford operations in South America and will report to Joe Hinrichs, Ford executive vice president and president, The Americas.

Watters has been chief financial officer and vice president, Finance & Strategic Planning, Ford of Europe. He also has been a member of the Ford Otosan board of directors since March 2012 and the Ford Sollers board of directors since April 2012. Prior to his service in Europe, he was chief financial officer for Ford South America. He also is elected a Ford Motor Company corporate officer.

Neil Schloss, 57, Ford vice president and treasurer, will add the role of chief financial officer (CFO), Ford Smart Mobility LLC, a subsidiary formed to design, build, grow and invest in emerging mobility services. In this role, effective Aug. 1, Schloss will have full responsibility for the financial operations of Ford Smart Mobility LLC. Ford Smart Mobility LLC is part of Ford’s expanded business model to be both an auto and a mobility company

Schloss has served as treasurer since March 2007. With his added responsibilities, he will report to Bob Shanks, Ford Motor Company chief financial officer, and Jim Hackett, chairman, Ford Smart Mobility LLC.

 

Tweet

About Ken Zino

Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
This entry was posted in people and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

One Response to Barb Samardzich, COO Ford of Europe, to Retire

  1. Autocrat says:
    29 July 2016 at 5:53 pm

    Johnson Controls confirms that Barb J. Samardzich would join Adient, the automotive seating and interiors business that it plans to spin off in October. Samardzich would join Adient’s board of directors after its separation from Johnson Controls. Ms. Samardzich has served as vice president and chief operating officer of Ford of Europe since November 2013. She recently announced her retirement from Ford effective 1 October 2016. Ms. Samardzich is the seventh director expected to serve on Adient’s board of directors. (See: Barb Samardzich, COO Ford of Europe, to Retire)

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *