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Heiress Elena Ford is named a vice president of Ford

Alissa Priddle, Detroit Free Press
Elena Ford, great-great-granddaughter of founder Henry Ford has been named vice president, global dealer and consumer experience for Ford Motor.
  • Will lead new Global Dealer and Consumer Experience unit
  • Group formed to run global dealer strategy%2C planning%2C training
  • Ford family still controls company through Class B voting

Heiress Elena Ford has been elected a vice president in the company that her great-great grandfather Henry Ford founded and becomes the first female Ford family member to hold a significant position at the automaker.

She is the daughter of Charlotte Ford and Greek shipping billionaire Stavros Niarchos, and the granddaughter of longtime company leader Henry Ford II.

The last time a family member was made a corporate officer was in 1994 with the appointment of cousin Bill Ford, then vice president of commercial trucks. He rose up the ranks to become chairman, president and CEO before recruiting Alan Mulally in 2006 to oversee daily operations and becoming executive chairman.

Both Bill and cousin Edsel Ford are on the board of directors of the company controlled by family members who hold veto power with Class B voting shares.

Elena Ford's new position, effective March 1, brings to 38 the number of corporate officers running the company. That is fewer than the 50 corporate officers in 2006 before operations were downsized.

Elena Ford, 46, will run the new global dealer and consumer experience organization to standardize best practices for Ford's brands around the world.

In her new role, she'll oversee global dealer strategy, planning, training and consumer experience, reporting to Jim Farley, executive vice president in charge of global marketing, sales, service and Lincoln. She'll establish global standards and best practices as Ford expands globally, including plans to introduce the Lincoln brand in China next year.

She'll also work to improve vehicle quality, which has suffered in recent years, and delivery time of vehicles from the factory to the dealer and to the customer. Various IT systems around the world will be streamlined into a more efficient global order and delivery process.

"Our new global dealer and consumer experience organization is the next step in our One Ford plan for profitable growth," Farley said. "Our new vehicles today are recognized around the world as leading in quality, fuel efficiency, safety, smart design and value. Now, we plan to bring that same standard of excellence to the dealer experience for our Ford and Lincoln customers worldwide."

"Elena has extensive experience in global marketing, and her passion for our dealers is well-known around the world," Farley said.

Ford has held a number of marketing and communications positions in the company and has been director, global marketing, sales and service operations since February 2009 -- responsible for implementing the company's "One Ford" marketing vision globally.

She came to Ford in 1995 and previously had been a senior account executive for ad company Wells, Rich Greene.

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