Ford restores management team after warning of supply chain problems

Within 72 hours of warning Wall Street that it planned to spend $1 billion more than expected this quarter on supply chain costs, Ford Motor Co. that they reorganized part of their management team that oversees supply chain management and product development – ​​while adding even more Silicon Valley tech talent.

Parts shortages delay production and delivery, frustrate customers and disappoint investors. Pickups awaiting parts are stored in lots around Dearborn and other cities.

Ford, which has seen its stock price tumble with the disappointing news, said in a press release Monday that these latest leadership changes would “strengthen product creation and transform global supply chain management.”[ads1];

The company noted in the release that the situation is fluid while it searches for a manager to handle the situation.

Ford continues to poach executives from high-profile Silicon Valley companies as the 119-year-old automaker pushes deeper into electric vehicle (EV) production and digital connectivity.

Recent management changes include:

• Doug Field expands his job as head of advanced product development and technology as Ford Model e increases its all-electric operation. He will continue to oversee electric vehicles, software and digital systems development, and driver assistance, while now assuming design and hardware engineering.
• Jim Baumbick assumes the role of vice president, product development operations, cycle planning and internal combustion engine programs to drive all product development for Ford Blue.
• John Lawler, Ford’s chief financial officer, is stepping in as interim head of global supply chain to “oversee a makeover of Ford’s global supply chain operations” until someone is selected for the job.
• Roz Ho joined the company in October after working for three years as vice president and global software manager at HP in Palo Alto, Calif., and before that companies including Microsoft.
• Jae Park, a former vice president at Google and Amazon, joined Ford in August as vice president, digital product design, according to his LinkedIn business profile. He spent more than 11 years at Microsoft as a creative director and design lead.
• Sammy Omari joined Ford as managing director of advanced driver assistance technologies. His LinkedIn profile describes him as vice president of engineering, head of autonomy and mapping at Motional, the driverless vehicle joint venture between Hyundai and Aptiv. Previously, Omari oversaw motion planning, software motion controls and prediction at Lyft. He also worked as director of engineering, responsible for robotics, computer vision and machine learning, at GoPro.
• Rob Bedichek, formerly of Intel and Apple, continues in a role as managing director of platform architecture that he began in December, according to LinkedIn. He designs computer systems and services. Ford announced its hiring with this latest development.
• Lisa Drake, vice president of EV industrialization, now runs manufacturing engineering as Ford works to reach a production rate of 2 million electric vehicles annually by the end of 2026.
• Chuck Gray, who has been vice president, EV technology, and became vice president, vehicle hardware engineering.
• Both Drake and Gray report to Field, as does Anthony Lo, Ford’s chief design officer.
• Jonathan Jennings, vice president, supply chain, assumes additional responsibility for supplier technical assistance and quality, reporting to Lawler.