Ford EV and tech chief leaving automaker

Key Points:

• Doug Field, a key executive responsible for Ford’s electric vehicle and technology strategies, is leaving the company as part of a broader leadership reorganization announced on Wednesday.
• Field joined Ford in 2021, bringing experience from Apple and Tesla, and was instrumental in advancing CEO Jim Farley’s vision to transform Ford into a leader in software, EVs, and advanced technology.
• Field oversaw Ford’s embedded software and hardware operations, including vehicle controls, connectivity, driver-assist technology, and cybersecurity, playing a central role in the design and implementation of Ford and Lincoln vehicles’ tech stack.
• Ford is creating a new “product creation and industrialization” team led by COO Kumar Galhotra, which will absorb the electric vehicle and design teams previously led by Field, with ambitious goals for profit margins and portfolio refreshes by 2029.
• The new structure will oversee projects like the Universal Electric Vehicle platform and next-generation trucks, with Alan Clarke, former Tesla executive, continuing to lead the Advanced Development Projects team that evolved from Ford’s skunkworks program.