Roelant de Waard is appointed general manager, Passenger Vehicles, Ford of Europe, effective July 1, 2019. This is in addition to his role as vice president, Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford of Europe, a position he has held since January 2011.
Previously, from January 2009, he was vice president of Sales, Ford of Europe, responsible for 49 markets, including the U.K., France, Italy, Spain and Russia. From February 2006 until the end of 2008, de Waard was chairman and managing director of Ford of Britain. He was vice president, FCSD (Ford Customer Service Division), Europe, from April 2002.
He joined Ford Netherlands in 1990 and moved to Dearborn, Mich., USA, in 1996, where he became marketing strategy manager and, in 1998, marketing plans manager at the Large Vehicle Centre. He returned to Europe in 1999 and was appointed managing director, Ford Netherlands, in 2000.
Born in Oegstgeest, the Netherlands, in 1962, de Waard holds a master’s degree in Economics and Business from Erasmus University Rotterdam. He is married with three sons, an adept skier and passionate biker.