Alexandra Ford English, director of corporate strategy at Ford Motor Company, has taken a seat on the board of directors for Rivian, the high-profile electric vehicle startup.
Ford and Rivian, which is based in Plymouth Township, issued a joint news release Friday saying the role for the daughter of executive chairman Bill Ford Jr. is effective immediately.
English, 32, who is responsible for the company’s enterprise strategy and connectivity and digital network strategy, replaces Joe Hinrichs, the veteran manufacturing executive who retired abruptly from Ford in February.
RJ Scaringe, Rivian founder and CEO, said in the release: “Alexandra and I share a deep passion for mobility and electrification, and her connection to Ford’s long family role in transportation is something special. I am looking forward to working closely with her and the perspective that she will bring to the board.”
Ford invested $500 million in Rivian in April 2019, and then invested again in December 2019. On April 28, Ford announced it had killed its Rivian-Lincoln project for cost-saving reasons.
However, the company said in its news release, Ford does plan to develop a new vehicle using Rivian’s flexible skateboard platform.
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“The vehicle with Rivian is in addition to Ford’s plan to develop a portfolio of battery electric vehicles as part of Ford’s previously announced $11 billion of EV investments,” the news release said.
Ford CEO Jim Hackett said in the release: “Our strategic partnership with Rivian plays an important role in the future of fully networked battery electric vehicles. With Alexandra’s experience in mobility and self-driving services, she will bring a unique perspective to Rivian’s board during this transformational time in our industry.”
Young talent
English joined Ford in 2017. “Prior to joining the corporate strategy team, she was a member of the Ford Autonomous Vehicle LLC team and a member of the City Solutions team,” Ford said in its release.
Previously, English was responsible for managing profit and loss operations for the merchandising divisions of Tory Burch in New York and Gap Inc. in San Francisco, Ford said in its release. She worked in fashion for four years.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in human biology from Stanford University with a concentration in neuroscience and physiology and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Bill Ford, 62, has been at the company for 40 years, said Ford spokeswoman Angie Kozleski. Of his four children, only English is employed at Ford. The son of Bill Ford’s cousin Edsel, Henry Ford III, works in investor relations. He joined the Ford Foundation board of trustees in 2019.
Hinrichs, who shocked the industry with his retirement at age 53, is a well-respected industry veteran who spent 19 years at Ford. He oversaw manufacturing and played a key role in building strong UAW relationships that contributed to smooth contract negotiations. Hinrichs started young in auto manufacturing, becoming a plant manager for General Motors by age 29. His success at the time was the subject of a Harvard Business School case study.
Rivian is scheduled to launch its products in the U.S. in 2021, with international markets later, the company said in the release.
Contact Phoebe Wall Howard: 313-222-6512or phoward@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @phoebesaid. Read more on Ford and sign up for our autos newsletter.
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