Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) announced today that Elena Ford, Ford’s chief customer experience officer, is now named chief dealer engagement officer, effective immediately. In this role, Ms. Ford will work with Ford’s 10,000 dealers worldwide to “accelerate their transformation into a competitive differentiator across Ford’s global businesses.” The stated goal is “to increase the consistency and efficiency of Ford’s global dealer council’s governance, improve retail facilities, modernize training and development, become more diverse, further raise community engagement, and amplify best practices.”
Ford also announced that Lisa Materazzo, previously Toyota’s top marketing executive in North America, is joining Ford as global chief marketing officer effective today, reporting to Ford President and CEO Jim Farley. At Toyota, Materazzo also held positions at Lexus and Scion. At Ford, Materazzo will lead advanced product planning and all marketing activities across Ford Blue, Ford Model e and Ford Pro. She will also oversee Ford Performance and Lincoln. Senior Marketing positions have experienced some churn at Ford recently.
Reporting to Materazzo in some way William Clay “Will” Ford III will be joining the company as general manager, Ford Performance, later this month. In the role, Will Ford* will work on Ford Performance as a business and lifestyle brand, through product development, marketing, dealers, merchandising and other Ford teams.
Ford is bolstering its performance and motorsports activities . It is entering Formula 1 with Red Bull Racing, competing in endurance racing at LeMans next year with Mustang, as well as starting new Mustang racing series. The company continues to develop lineup of performance cars and trucks, such as the Mustang GTD, Mustang Darkhorse and F-150 Raptor R. Much of this copies existing and successful programs at Mercedes-AMG, Ferrari, Acura, Corvette, and Porsche, among others.
“I grew up in a family of auto enthusiasts and have dedicated my career to automotive. I’m a huge motorsports enthusiast. My idea of a vacation is going to F1 races around the world,” Materazzo said. “I feel incredibly blessed to be joining this iconic company at a time when it’s making bold bets on the future – from the three new divisions of the company to the audacious performance and motorsports plan. I am especially excited to work with Lincoln President Dianne Craig and the whole Lincoln team to reinvigorate this iconic and powerful brand.”
Materazzo’s involvement with the auto industry and motorsports traces back to growing up in Upstate New York close to the Watkins Glen racetrack. She learned to drive in a 1981 Ford Mustang Cobra.
“I have worked hand-in-hand with dealers throughout my career and I am excited to now partner with our 10,000 dealers globally to make our retail network a competitive advantage for Ford,” Elena Ford said
*Will Ford graduated from Princeton University and received his MBA from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He spent a decade working on early-stage mobility startups as a venture capital investor and entrepreneur, ac coring to Ford.
AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, publisher (kzhw@aol.com), 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.
Zino is at home on test tracks, knows his way around U.S. Congressional hearing rooms, auto company headquarters, plant floors, as well as industry research and development labs where the real mobility work is done. He can quote from court decisions, refer to instrumented road tests, analyze financial results, and profile executive personalities and corporate cultures.
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 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.
Elena Ford and William Clay Ford III in New Roles at Ford Motor
Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) announced today that Elena Ford, Ford’s chief customer experience officer, is now named chief dealer engagement officer, effective immediately. In this role, Ms. Ford will work with Ford’s 10,000 dealers worldwide to “accelerate their transformation into a competitive differentiator across Ford’s global businesses.” The stated goal is “to increase the consistency and efficiency of Ford’s global dealer council’s governance, improve retail facilities, modernize training and development, become more diverse, further raise community engagement, and amplify best practices.”
Ford also announced that Lisa Materazzo, previously Toyota’s top marketing executive in North America, is joining Ford as global chief marketing officer effective today, reporting to Ford President and CEO Jim Farley. At Toyota, Materazzo also held positions at Lexus and Scion. At Ford, Materazzo will lead advanced product planning and all marketing activities across Ford Blue, Ford Model e and Ford Pro. She will also oversee Ford Performance and Lincoln. Senior Marketing positions have experienced some churn at Ford recently.
Reporting to Materazzo in some way William Clay “Will” Ford III will be joining the company as general manager, Ford Performance, later this month. In the role, Will Ford* will work on Ford Performance as a business and lifestyle brand, through product development, marketing, dealers, merchandising and other Ford teams.
Ford is bolstering its performance and motorsports activities . It is entering Formula 1 with Red Bull Racing, competing in endurance racing at LeMans next year with Mustang, as well as starting new Mustang racing series. The company continues to develop lineup of performance cars and trucks, such as the Mustang GTD, Mustang Darkhorse and F-150 Raptor R. Much of this copies existing and successful programs at Mercedes-AMG, Ferrari, Acura, Corvette, and Porsche, among others.
“I grew up in a family of auto enthusiasts and have dedicated my career to automotive. I’m a huge motorsports enthusiast. My idea of a vacation is going to F1 races around the world,” Materazzo said. “I feel incredibly blessed to be joining this iconic company at a time when it’s making bold bets on the future – from the three new divisions of the company to the audacious performance and motorsports plan. I am especially excited to work with Lincoln President Dianne Craig and the whole Lincoln team to reinvigorate this iconic and powerful brand.”
Materazzo’s involvement with the auto industry and motorsports traces back to growing up in Upstate New York close to the Watkins Glen racetrack. She learned to drive in a 1981 Ford Mustang Cobra.
“I have worked hand-in-hand with dealers throughout my career and I am excited to now partner with our 10,000 dealers globally to make our retail network a competitive advantage for Ford,” Elena Ford said
*Will Ford graduated from Princeton University and received his MBA from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He spent a decade working on early-stage mobility startups as a venture capital investor and entrepreneur, ac coring to Ford.
AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, publisher (kzhw@aol.com), 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. Zino is at home on test tracks, knows his way around U.S. Congressional hearing rooms, auto company headquarters, plant floors, as well as industry research and development labs where the real mobility work is done. He can quote from court decisions, refer to instrumented road tests, analyze financial results, and profile executive personalities and corporate cultures. 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 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.