A member of the Ford family has been chairman, CEO or president of the company for nearly 20 years in its 118-year history. And there have always been at least one, and more often two Ford men serving on the board.
Female Ford family members served as executives at the company and women outside the family served on its board, including three currently. “I am pleased and proud to have a new generation of Ford family leaders who believe in serving the company and ensuring that it continues to be a positive and successful force in the world for many years to come,” said Bill Ford.
The change was also praised by the United Auto Workers union, which represents American hourly workers in the company. “Although UAW members always have differences at the table with management, it is certain to know that there are board members whose corporate decisions are informed by their history not only for short-term performance, but in the company’s long-term interest – term future too, “said the union.
British Ford, who joined Ford in 2017, is involved in the company’s effort to move towards electric and autonomous vehicles. She is currently the company’s corporate strategy director, responsible for the company’s strategic plans, connectivity and digital network.
Prior to that, she was the market and operations director at Ford’s separate autonomous vehicle unit and responsible for the successful implementation and operations of Ford’s autonomous vehicle business in Miami, Florida, Austin, Texas and Washington, DC. She is also a Ford representative on the board of Rivian, a maker of electric trucks, in which she has a stake.
Before joining Ford, she worked in the merchandising divisions of Tory Burch in New York and at Gap Inc. in San Francisco.