Ford Names New Execs

Dearborn, Mich., Oct. 15, 2018 – Ford Motor Company today announced that Elena Ford has been named Chief Customer Experience Officer. In this role, she will lead the organization responsible for creating a world-class customer experience throughout the entire ownership cycle. The company also announced that John Savona is named vice president, North American Manufacturing.

In this role, Elena Ford, 52, will report to Joe Hinrichs, Ford president, Global Operations. The realignment of customer experience under Global Operations will allow Elena Ford, 52, to work with Ford Customer Service Division and the Quality organization to more tightly connect the design and implementation of a world-class customer experience system that connects the interactions between Ford and its customers around the world. In her role, she will continue to be closely integrated with the Sales and Marketing organization and global dealer network.

“Elena is the ideal leader to take on the challenge of bringing Ford to world-class levels in terms of customer experience. She has a genuine passion and unwavering focus on doing what’s right for our customers and a deep connection with our dealers,” Hinrichs said. “She has the ability to work across the Ford organization and regions and will ensure that everything we do is designed around the customer.”

Working with Ford’s business operations around the world, Elena Ford will lead a team tasked with identifying key customer pain points that have the highest potential to drive improved business results, from digital sites to call centers and service bays. To support the company’s transformation, the team will address today’s issues and will leverage data, and create policies and practices to create the interactions of tomorrow and exceed customer expectations.

“Our customers see Ford as one company and they don’t distinguish between the company, our call center and the dealers,” Elena Ford said. “Our goal is to be the most trusted company and we must deliver the most trusted experience for our customers. For our loyal customers, this could mean a faster oil change, a more intuitive app or an easier way to schedule servicing.”

Also today, the company announced John Savona is appointed vice president, North American Manufacturing. At the same time, he is elected a company officer. In this role, Savona, 50, will be responsible for Ford’s North America manufacturing footprint – the company’s largest with more than 30 manufacturing plants.

“John has nearly 30 years of experience in Ford manufacturing, having held leadership positions in many of our manufacturing facilities and been responsible for key areas including global quality improvement,” said Gary Johnson, group vice president, Manufacturing and Labor Affairs. “We are excited to have his expertise focused on building the very best vehicles with the highest quality here in North America.”

Previously, Savona served as Ford’s director of Global Manufacturing Quality with responsibility for ensuring continuous improvement in quality in all Ford manufacturing facilities globally. He began his career with Ford in 1989 as a security officer at Ford’s Wayne (Mich.) Assembly Plant after three years of service in the U.S. Army. Throughout his time at Ford, he has held a variety of roles with increasing responsibility in the manufacturing organization.

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Elena A. Ford

Chief Customer Experience Officer, Ford Motor Company

Elena A. Ford is Chief Customer Experience Officer. In this role, she he will lead the organization responsible for creating a world-class customer experience throughout the entire ownership cycle.

“We know that an exceptional experience is what today’s customers want and expect and are focused on understanding those expectations so deeply and so continuously that our customers feel that we care at each and every interaction, regardless of where they meet us,” she says.

In this role, she will work with Ford Customer Service Division and the Quality organization to more tightly connect the design and implementation of a world-class customer experience system that connects the interactions between Ford and its customers around the world. In her role, she will continue to be closely integrated with the Sales and Marketing organization and global dealer network.

Previously, Ms. Ford was vice president, Customer Experience and Global Dealer from March 2013 – October 2018. In that role, she was responsible for developing global standards and sharing best practices for planning, training, vehicle delivery and customer interaction with dealers and within the company. She also was responsible for the development and launch of FordPass and The Lincoln Way, Ford Motor Company’s ownership experience apps.

Prior to that, Ms. Ford was director, Global Marketing, Sales and Service from February 2009 through February 2013. In this role, she was responsible for implementing the company’s One Ford marketing vision globally.

She was appointed executive vice president, Global Brand and Marketing, Ford Credit in August 2007, leading marketing, product management and sales support activities for Ford’s financial services arm around the world.

Since joining the company in 1995, Ms. Ford served in a number of marketing, brand strategy and business management roles. Among her notable achievements is the development and launch of Ford’s global brand promise: Go Further.

Ms. Ford was twice named to the Automotive News list of 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry, mostly recently in 2015.

Ms. Ford currently serves on the board of the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House. She previously held seats on the boards of the Henry Ford Health System and The Children’s Center, and remains involved with these organizations.

Ms. Ford is the great-great-granddaughter of Henry Ford and the granddaughter of Henry Ford II. She was born in New York in 1966, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in business from New York University, and today resides in Michigan.

John Savona

Vice President, North American Manufacturing

John Savona is vice president, North American Manufacturing, effective Oct. 1, 2018. He also is a company officer. In this role, Savona is responsible for Ford’s North America manufacturing footprint – the company’s largest in the world with more than 30 manufacturing plants.

Prior to leading Ford’s manufacturing in North America, Savona served as Ford’s director of Global Manufacturing Quality. Appointed to the role in January 2017, he was responsible for ensuring continuous improvement in quality in all Ford manufacturing facilities globally.

Savona began his career with Ford in 1989 as a security officer at Ford’s Wayne Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich. and, over the next ten years, took on a variety of supervisory and management roles with increasing responsibility at the Wayne Stamping and Assembly site. Beginning in 1999, he led operations in a variety of Ford’s manufacturing facilities in the US. In 2013, Savona became director of manufacturing for the company’s North American assembly operations, before moving into his global role overseeing manufacturing quality.

Prior to joining Ford, Savona served for three years in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany.

Savona has a Bachelor of Science in Criminology from Eastern Michigan University and a Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University. He serves on the advisory board of the Ford Veterans Network Group and also served as honorary chair for the Veteran Owned Business Roundtable and Board of Directors for the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers