JIM MAZUCHOWSKI: GROWING UP IN A FORD FAMILY LEADS TO V6 ENGINE PROGRAM MANAGER POSITION
Jim Mazuchowski grew up in a Ford family. His dad was a draftsman in the engine division for 33 years, and his brother also worked for Ford. For Mazuchowski, program manager for V6 engines, this was a key factor in his career.
“Growing up, my dad would wake me up on the weekends, and we worked on cars together,” said Mazuchowski. “That, and his work at Ford were huge influences in my career direction.”
Mazuchowski and his team are responsible for all the new V6 gas engines under development at Ford, including the naturally aspirated, EcoBoost™ and flex fuel engines. The F-150 adds the 3.7-liter V6 and the 3.5-liter EcoBoost truck engine to the 2011 lineup.
The scope of his work is something Mazuchowski enjoys – whether it’s design and development, or some of the challenges related to the dollars-and-cents side of the automotive industry.
“I really enjoy the variety of tasks, the pressure and urgency involved, along with the great people I get to work with,” he said. “The work we do directly impacts the customer and is key to Ford’s fuel economy and sustainability strategy as well as quality and customer satisfaction.”
Since coming to Ford in 1988, Mazuchowski has held several positions that helped prepare him for his job in engine program management. Those roles included helping launch a series of V8 engines and running manufacturing operations at the Cleveland Casting Plant, as well as product design, development work and strategic planning.
Riding for fun and for a cause
Mazuchowski also is an avid bicyclist – both for fun and charity. Over Labor Day weekend in 2009, he rode about 80 miles a day for five days, traveling from the campus at Michigan State in East Lansing across the Mackinac Bridge and into the Upper Peninsula. Participants camp each night, then are transported back to East Lansing.
“I train after work and on the weekends,” said Mazuchowski. “My two brothers and I have really gotten into cycling over the last three years, and we motivate each other.”
Cycling also provides another type of motivation. Mazuchowski has been involved with the Multiple Sclerosis Society for the last 20 years, volunteering and participating in walks. The cause is especially personal to him because his father suffered from the disease, which attacks the central nervous system (brain, optic nerves, spinal cord), for more than 30 years.
In mid-June of this year, for the third consecutive year, Mazuchowski participated with Team Ford in the Bike MS 150, which consists of two 75-mile rides over a weekend in western Michigan.
“With the help of many of my Ford co-workers, we raised more than $2,000 for the cause,” Mazuchowski said.
Personal Insights and Fun Facts
- Jim has been married for 20 years. He and his wife have three daughters, two of whom are newly minted drivers
- He has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Michigan State and a master’s degree in industrial engineering from the University of Michigan
- His first car was a 1972 Ford Maverick
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About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 159,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln and Mercury, production of which has been announced by the company to be ending in the fourth quarter of 2010. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 159,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln and Mercury, production of which has been announced by the company to be ending in the fourth quarter of 2010. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.
Sept. 20, 2010