Ford Appoints New Head for Europe and Expands Responsibilities of Two Key Executives

According to foreign media reports, on October 10th, Ford Motor Company announced a series of leadership changes, including the appointment of a new head for the European region, the expansion of responsibilities for two key executives, and the retirement plans of two executives.

2026 Mustang; Image source: Ford Motor Company

From November 1st, Jim Baumbick, Vice President responsible for advanced product development, cycle planning, and program management, will take on the role of President of Ford Motor Europe. Jim Baumbick previously served as head of Ford's product development division and will report to John Lawler, Vice Chairman of Ford Motor Company, after assuming his new position.

Jim Baumbick played a key role in the development of the seventh-generation Ford Mustang and also led Project Apollo. It is reported that during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ford Motor Company quickly transformed its production facilities through Project Apollo to manufacture masks, ventilators, and other personal protective equipment.

Sam Basile, formerly the Vice President of Global Product Programs at General Motors, joined Ford Motor Company on October 13, taking over from Jim Baumbick as the head of Product Development, Cycle Planning, and Project Management.

In addition, Ford CEO Jim Farley will give more responsibilities to two of his key deputies.

Bryce Currie, Vice President of Manufacturing for Ford Americas, will be promoted to Chief Manufacturing Officer, responsible for global manufacturing operations and safety affairs. Since joining Ford in 2023, Bryce Currie has been dedicated to driving cultural transformation within the company and improving vehicle quality.

Andrew Frick, the president of Ford's fuel vehicle and electric vehicle business unit, will have added responsibilities overseeing the Lincoln luxury brand.

Joaquin Nuno-Whelan, who assumed the position of President of the Lincoln brand in April of this year, will now report to Andrew Frick, whereas his previous reporting line was to Ford's Chief Marketing Officer Lisa Materazzo.

Jim Farley stated in a statement, "These global leadership appointments demonstrate our firm commitment to building a truly world-class team within Ford. This team will unite in consensus and focus on our core objective — delivering excellent and high-quality products to our global customers."

At the same time, Ford Motor also announced the retirement plans of two executives.

Chuck Gray, Vice President of Hardware Engineering at Ford, will retire on December 1. Charles Poon, currently the Director of Electrified Powertrain Engineering at Ford, will succeed Chuck Gray and report to Kumar Galhotra, Chief Operating Officer of Ford Motor Company.

Darren Palmer, Vice President of Ford's Electric Vehicle Program, will retire on November 1st. Darren Palmer was one of the founding members of Ford's Team Edison, which reportedly helped develop the Mustang Mach-E, F-150 Lightning, and E-Transit electric models. Ford has not yet announced a successor for this position.