Two high-level Ford Motor Co. executives — Hau Thai-Tang and Frederiek Toney — are retiring later this year, the Dearborn automaker announced Thursday.
Meanwhile, Ford is bringing on Dave Bozeman, a former Amazon.com Inc., Caterpillar Inc. and Harley-Davidson Inc. executive.
Hau Thai-Tang, Ford’s chief industrial platform officer, will retire on Oct. 1 after spending more than 34 years working at the Blue Oval. Ford did not immediately name a replacement or detail what would happen with Thai-Tang’s position following his retirement.
“All of us at Ford are extremely grateful to Hau for his unrelenting passion for serving our customers with great products, and his thoughtful and compassionate leadership,” CEO Jim Farley said in a statement.
Thai-Tang joined Ford in 1988, according to a news release. After a series of global assignments, he served as chief engineer on the fifth-generation, 2005-model year Ford Mustang. More recently, Thai-Tang headed up Ford’s product development and purchasing organizations while the company brought to market vehicles such as the Bronco, Maverick, Puma, Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning.
In a statement, Thai-Tang said he is “very grateful and honored to have served at Ford and proud to be leaving the company with one of the strongest, freshest and most appealing product lineups in our great history.”
“I plan to sprint across the finish line as we prepare to introduce more great products like the seventh-generation Mustang, and work closely with Jim, my Ford colleagues and our great suppliers on a smooth transition,” he added.
Meanwhile, Toney, who heads up the Ford Customer Service Division, will retire effective Dec. 1.
He started at Ford in 2000 and over the years has held numerous leadership positions in logistics, operations, and parts and service. In 2009, he took over management of FCSD and became a company officer.
In a statement, Toney said he’s “most proud of how we’ve taken care of our valued customers and contributed to the success of Ford by modernizing and growing key businesses like customer services, parts and accessories.”
“Frederiek has been an inspirational business leader and a true advocate for Ford customers for more than two decades,” Kumar Galhotra, president of Ford Blue, said in a statement. “He’s also a shining example of an executive who gives generously of his time and talent outside of Ford, serving on nonprofit boards and working tirelessly to advance the causes of women and people of color in the workplace.”
Bozeman will join Ford Sept. 1 as vice president of the global Ford Customer Service Division and the Enthusiast Vehicles product line in Ford Blue. Ford Blue is the business unit created earlier this year that’s dedicated to the company’s legacy internal combustion engine vehicles. Bozeman also was elected a corporate officer.
Originally from Chicago, Bozeman has a bachelor’s degree in manufacturing engineering technology/mechanical design from Bradley University in Peoria, Ill., as well as a master’s degree in engineering management from the Milwaukee School of Engineering.
Bozeman held senior leadership positions at motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson before working at construction-equipment manufacturer Caterpillar. There, he was a senior vice president and head of the company’s order-to-delivery organization, Enterprise System Group.
He then went on to work at global e-commerce giant Amazon, where he served as vice president of Amazon Transportation Services. In that role, Bozeman oversaw middle-mile transportation.
Bozeman was part of a recent wave of Amazon executive departures. More than 45 top executives left the company between the start of 2020 and April 2021, according to Business Insider.
And the departures have continued under CEO Andy Jassy, who just marked one year in the top job, CNBC reported last week, noting that Bozeman was one of two prominent Black executives to step down from the e-commerce company last month.
Bozeman confirmed his departure from Amazon after five years with the company in a LinkedIn post.
At Ford, Bozeman will serve in a dual capacity. As the head of FCSD, he’ll be focused on improving customer service, according to Ford, “by further developing trust, loyalty and always-on customer relationships.” His team will be will responsible for global parts, accessories and vehicle personalization; material planning and logistics for the division; and “best-in-class customer service experiences.”
He also will head up Ford Blue’s enthusiast brands in the U.S.
Ford Blue now has operational leaders for each of its key vehicle segments, Ford said. The trucks segment is led by Andrew Frick, while family vehicles are headed up by Kiersten Robinson.
Bozeman will report to Galhotra.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dave to our Ford leadership team,” said Galhotra. “He has a unique skillset and a track record of success at some of the most respected and iconic companies in the world.”
jgrzelewski@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @JGrzelewski