Just days after Ford CEO Jim Farley promised industry analysts that he planned to beef up technology at the 117-year-old automaker, he has named Vijay Sankaran the new chief software and information officer to help transform the whole company.
He'll play a key role in how the company functions, how it develops new vehicles and services and how customers interact with the vehicle technology.
Sankaran, 47, will lead Ford's Global Technology and Software Platforms group, which includes teams responsible for data, artificial intelligence and other technologies, helping to develop products and services that make Ford more competitive and "earn and sustain" consumer trust, the company said in a news release Monday.
He will "hasten development and application of technology, software and data, with objectives to modernize the company and provide customers with constantly evolving, world-class services and experiences," Ford said.
After a strong third quarter earnings report last week, Farley told industry analysts that he was committed to transparency in running the company and said he would be making significant announcements that would spotlight his commitment to technology.
"We're going to use technology and software, including how we learn from and act on data, to unleash a whole new world for our customers and our company," Farley said in Monday's news release.
Sankaran will join the company Nov. 16, reporting to Farley.
When Farley took the helm as CEO on Oct.1, he outlined a plan to take a sweeping approach to help the company catch up to competitors in key areas and then leapfrog in technology areas that directly affect consumer and commercial use.
His style has been praised publicly by Wall Street analysts, in contrast to former CEO Jim Hackett, who was criticized during this three-year tenure as moving too slowly and providing too little detail about his plans to strengthen the Dearborn automaker.
Technology and software are key to new revenue streams for automakers globally as vehicles increase their connectivity. It's all part of a digital revolution in transportation.
Sankaran, who has been CIO at TD Ameritrade for the past four years, has been with the financial services company for seven years, and based in Ann Arbor. At that company, Sankaran is credited with leading "digital transformation" that included introducing new mobile applications and using artificial intelligence to personalize service, Ford said.
He also scaled the TD Ameritrade system "to accommodate the stock-trading boom spawned by the coronavirus pandemic," Ford noted.
Sankaran said in prepared remarks, "Inventive companies use software, data and AI to reimagine and deliver highly differentiated product quality, operating efficiency and customer services. Brand loyalty and growth are turbocharged in organizations that are rich with and driven by data."
Before going to TD Ameritrade, Sankaran worked at Ford for 12 years and left as chief technology officer within the Information Technology department, where he led tech strategy, analytics and data management. Prior to Ford, Sankaran worked as a consultant with Ernst & Young LLP.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business.
Dynamic team
So now at Ford, the people who interact with customers daily are supported by the technology and software group, led by Sankaran, and the industrial group, led by Hau Thai-Tang, now chief product platform and operations officer, who will focus on capabilities such as product development, purchasing and engineering.
"We're investing in our plan to modernize Ford and aren't going to cede leadership to anyone," Farley said. "Technology, software and industrial excellence are as critical to our long-term success as the advanced vehicles that those competencies will help us develop."
Farley, the former chief operating officer, has not been shy about identifying weaknesses that need immediate attention and a plan to improve customer confidence, trust and market share.
The tech team helping to lead transformation under Farley also includes:
Gil Gur Arie, chief, global data insight and analytics Alex Purdy, director, business operations, enterprise connectivity Scott Griffith, chief, autonomous vehicle products, marketing and operations Rahul Singh, head, AV software development
Gur Arie, 44, started at Ford on May 1, with a focus on developing Ford's connected vehicle data and artificial intelligence strategies. His team includes 1,000 data scientists globally. He is a retired colonel in the Israeli Military Intelligence Corps with more than two decades of experience in data science. His expertise also includes cybersecurity design. Gur Arie earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from the Israel Institute of Technology and his Master of Business Administration from Tel Aviv University. He received the Israel Defense Award in 2018; the award is given annually by the president of the state of Israel to people and organizations for technological breakthroughs that have made a significant contribution to the defense of the nation.
Purdy, 36, started at Ford on May 1, with a focus on connectivity strategy. He came from Deere Labs and directed precision agriculture strategy and business development. Technology is now viewed as essential in big farming operations, which use software applications in automation and artificial intelligence. Purdy graduated from University of Western Ontario with a Bachelor of Arts in Honors Business Administration. He earned an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Scott Griffith, 61, started at Ford one year ago as chief of Autonomous Vehicle Products, Marketing and Operations, where he has overseen development of Ford's autonomous vehicle business. He was CEO of Zipcar from 2003-2013, where he positioned the company as a leading car-sharing network and negotiated its sale to Avis Budget Group. Prior to that, he worked at The Boeing Company. He earned a bachelor's degree in engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and an MBA from the University of Chicago.
Singh, who now focuses on software and autonomous vehicle strategy, came to Ford in September 2017 from Silicon Valley. He worked as executive mobility director until July 2019. Previously, he had been vice president of engineering at Pivotal Labs. He earned a bachelor's in computer engineering from the University of Ottawa and bachelor's in biology and neuroscience from Carleton University.
