- Robinson, Ford’s top HR executive, tapped for key global role
leading Ford Blue’s Family Vehicles division, as well as the
company’s businesses in Mexico and Canada
- Waldo joining from Apple as chief people and employee
experiences officer to foster high-performance culture, scale
talent and organizational capability in technology, innovation
- Smith to lead Government Affairs team, drawing on vast public-,
private-sector expertise in energy policy to help Ford’s transition
to electric vehicles and net-zero carbon footprint
Ford is further strengthening its leadership team – hiring two
highly regarded executives and giving a significant global
operating role to an accomplished longtime senior colleague – as it
continues to execute the customer focused Ford+ plan for growth and
value creation.
Kiersten Robinson, Ford’s senior Human Resources
executive for the past four-plus years and a 27-year company
veteran, is shifting into a key operating role as general manager
of Ford’s popular and profitable family vehicles within Ford Blue.
She will also serve as president of Ford’s operations in Mexico and
Canada.
Robinson will be succeeded as chief people and employee
experiences officer by Jennifer Waldo, an accomplished
leader with deep technology experience at Apple and General
Electric, who will start with Ford in mid-May. And Christopher
Smith, who initiated the policy and government affairs
capability at liquefied natural gas producer Cheniere Energy and
served for seven years as an official in the U.S. Department of
Energy, is joining Ford on April 4 as chief government affairs
officer.
Ford Model e, Ford Blue
Earlier this month, Ford President and CEO Jim Farley announced
the formation of two distinct, but strategically interdependent,
automotive business units to enhance customer experiences and
expand revenue and profitability:
- Ford Blue, which will selectively build out the
company’s iconic portfolio of vehicles powered by
internal-combustion engines; reduce costs, simplify operations and
improve quality; and supply engineering and high-volume production
expertise to all of Ford, and
- Ford Model e, which will innovate and deliver
breakthrough electric vehicles at scale, as well as revolutionary
software and connected vehicle technologies.
Kiersten Robinson
In her new position, Robinson will report to Kumar Galhotra,
president of Ford Blue.
“Kiersten is a transformational leader who has been instrumental
in supporting Ford’s business and global team for nearly three
decades through innovative people, talent, employee safety and
workplace experience solutions,” Farley said. “Now she’s taking on
a critical global operating role within Ford Blue as president of
Mexico and Canada, as well as leading our Family Vehicles product
line that includes the popular Ford Explorer, Expedition and
Everest.”
Robinson joined the company in 1995 as a labor relations
representative in Australia, her home country. A series of Ford HR
leadership assignments in Asia Pacific and Europe preceded a move
to the company’s headquarters in Dearborn in 2002.
She was made head of Human Resources for Asia Pacific and Africa
in 2010, before being appointed HR lead for the Americas 2016, with
responsibility for global markets added in early 2017. Robinson was
named chief human resources officer in 2018, and to her present
role in 2020.
Jennifer Waldo
Waldo, who will report to Farley, has been leading change in
organizations for more than 20 years, the past 10 in California’s
Silicon Valley. At Apple, she led the team supporting all nonretail
people-related functions, including software, hardware, services,
design and marketing, as well as the global mobility and talent
development teams.
“Jen has incredible experience and a track record of helping
companies across different industries build talent and culture to
support innovation and growth,” Farley said. “She will be an
invaluable addition as we build a diverse, high-performance team to
deliver the Ford+ plan.”
Prior to Apple, Waldo spent a combined 17 years with two GE
business units. At GE Digital, which delivers software and
industrial Internet of Things services to industrial companies, she
led the hiring and building of software talent capabilities across
GE’s industrial businesses. Earlier, Waldo was with GE Aviation,
starting in several plant HR roles and eventually managing global
HR for sales and the avionics business. She later led organization
and talent development, including inclusion and diversity,
recruiting, and executive development, across the enterprise.
Joining Ford will be a homecoming for Waldo, a Michigan native.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Theory from James
Madison College at Michigan State University and a master’s degree
in Human Resources and Labor Relations, also from MSU.
Christopher Smith
Smith will add to Ford’s policy capabilities as the company
carries out priorities in the U.S. and around the globe – in
rapidly evolving areas such as connectivity, electric vehicles and
digital services, and in ways that benefit customers, society and
the environment. He succeeds Mitch Bainwol, who retired from Ford
at the end of 2021, and will report to Steven Croley, Ford’s chief
policy officer and general counsel.
“Chris has devoted his career to shaping progressive energy
policy and driving toward a more sustainable future,” Croley said.
“He brings tremendous passion and expertise to Ford as we shape the
future of transportation.”
For the past four-plus years, Smith was senior vice president,
Policy, Government and Public Affairs, at Cheniere Energy, the
world’s second-largest liquefied natural gas operator. While there,
Smith led the incorporation of climate principles into Cheniere’s
business model and influenced a modernization of federal
regulations.
During the Obama Administration, Smith served as an official at
the Department of Energy, ultimately as assistant secretary for
fossil energy. In that role, he oversaw policy, international
engagement, and research and development programs. Earlier in his
career, Smith held managerial and analytical positions at Chevron,
focusing primarily on upstream business development and LNG
trading, and analytical roles at Citibank and JPMorgan in New York
City and London.
Smith, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point,
began his career as an engineer officer in the U.S. Army, including
a tour in Korea. He also has a master’s in Business Administration
from the University of Cambridge in England and a degree in applied
mathematics from American Public University.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is a global company based in
Dearborn, Michigan, that is committed to helping build a better
world, where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams.
The company’s Ford+ plan for growth and value creation combines
existing strengths, new capabilities and always-on relationships
with customers to enrich experiences for and deepen the loyalty of
those customers. Ford develops and delivers innovative, must-have
Ford trucks, sport utility vehicles, commercial vans and cars and
Lincoln luxury vehicles, along with connected services. The company
does that through its Ford Blue internal-combustion and Ford Model
e electric vehicles businesses, and the Ford Pro commercial vehicle
services and distribution unit. Additionally, Ford is establishing
leadership positions through Ford Drive mobility solutions,
including self-driving technology, and provides financial services
through Ford Motor Credit Company. Ford employs about 183,000
people worldwide. More information about the company and its
products and services is available at corporate.ford.com.
For news releases, related materials and high-resolution photos
and video, visit www.media.ford.com.
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Media T.R. Reid 1.313.319.6683
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