Ford Realigns Global Design Team

Dearborn MI May 1, 2006; Ford Motor Company has realigned key players within its global design team, more strategically leveraging the strengths of some of the industry’s most talented design leaders.

“We’re changing up several leadership positions within our powerhouse of global design talent,” said J Mays, group vice president, Design, and Chief Creative Officer. “These moves will help ensure that we further differentiate the designs of each our brands from their competitors’ and will allow us to deliver even stronger, more emotional products throughout our brand portfolio.”

Supporting Americas Design Executive Director Peter Horbury in his bid to infuse the full North American vehicle lineup with “Red, White & Bold” style are:

Moray Callum, who has been appointed Design director, Cars. Effective May 1, Callum returns to North America from Hiroshima, Japan, where he previously was General Manager, Design Division, Mazda Motor Corporation. Patrick Schiavone, who has been named Design director, Trucks, also effective May 1. Schiavone previously was Design director, Cars. Freeman Thomas, who was named director of Strategic Design for North America Advanced Studios in California and Dearborn in June 2005, continues in that role.

“I can’t think of a better creative team to help deliver vehicles that even more closely reflect the attitudes and values of our diverse customers in this market,” Horbury said.

“Moray, the man who defined ‘Zoom-Zoom’ design for the full Mazda lineup, will bring new energy to our Ford, Lincoln and Mercury cars. Pat, whose name is synonymous with ‘Built Ford Tough’ F-150 designs, is going to further push the needle on our pickups and strengthen SUVs and Crossovers. And Freeman, a world-class strategist, is poised to continue pushing our vision for new, white-space vehicle designs.

“Working closely together as one creative team, we’re going to help pave the Way Forward, delivering vehicle designs that are even more compelling for our customers,” Horbury said.

In a related move, Mazda has appointed Laurens van den Acker general manager of the company’s Design Division. He is responsible for the overall design and styling of all of Mazda’s global products, replacing Callum, and reports to Seita Kanai, senior managing executive officer in charge of Mazda ’ s R&D as well as Mays.

Before joining Mazda in January as deputy general manager, Design Division, van den Acker was chief designer of Strategic Design in the Dearborn Advanced Studio. Prior to that assignment, he held several different design positions during his seven years with Ford, including chief designer for the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner and chief designer of the Brand Imaging Group.

“Laurens’ global experience and strengths as a brand and product strategist make him uniquely qualified to take the already-strong lineup of Mazda designs to a new level,” Mays said. “His contributions to key vehicles – including the Ford Model U, 427 and Bronco concepts – demonstrate his ability to imagine the future on our customers’ behalf and pay that vision out in sheet metal.”

Elsewhere in the global lineup, Martin Smith, executive director, Design – Ford of Europe, has assumed additional responsibilities.

Matrix-reporting to Smith is Scott Strong, director of Design – Ford Asia Pacific and Africa. Strong is responsible for developing vehicle designs for Australia-based product programs and oversees Ford’s China and Asia-Pacific studios, reporting directly to Trevor Worthington, vice president – Ford Australia, and John Shelton, director of Product Development – Asia Pacific and Africa.

“From a design perspective, we’re more closely aligning these markets,” Mays said. “We want to ensure we’re more consistently delivering the Ford design DNA throughout our full range of products, but we also want to reflect each region’s unique customer desires and aspirations.

“This shift – combined with the new appointments – will help our world-class Design team continue pushing to create even more powerful vehicles that are true to the values of their respective brands, distinct from the competition and meaningful to customers,” Mays said.

Leading Design at Ford Motor Company’s additional brands are:

Ian Callum, Design director, Jaguar. Steve Mattin, Design director, Volvo. Gerry McGovern, Advanced Design director, Land Rover. Marek Reichman, Design director, Aston Martin. Geoff Upex, Design director, Land Rover.