Biography: Birgit A. Behrendt

Birgit A. Behrendt is executive director, Global Programs and the Americas Purchasing, effective July 1, 2010. In this role, she oversees all Purchasing activities for Ford’s North and South America operations. Behrendt also works closely with Product Development on all global vehicle and powertrain programs to ensure Ford capitalizes on its global scale to deliver competitive costs, technology, fuel efficiency and quality in a full lineup of vehicles that consumers want and value.

From April 1, 2008, until her current role, Behrendt was vice president, Purchasing, Ford of Europe, and executive director, Global Programs. Prior to that, Behrendt was vice president, Purchasing, Ford of Europe. She was appointed to that position in February 2004. She also served on the Supervisory Board of Ford-Werke GmbH and also on the Board of Ford Getrag Transmission (GFT) GmbH from 2004 until May 2010.

From September 2000 to February 2004, Behrendt was director for Global Body and Exterior Purchasing. Prior to September 2000, Behrendt was a program manager for Vehicle Procurement Operations and manager of Global Strategy for the Purchasing Business Office.

Behrendt was named “Woman of the Year” by Automotive News Europe magazine in January 2008. The award is given in recognition of the outstanding business woman from the automotive industry in Europe. She was also named as one of the “Top 25 Most Influential Business Women” by Financial Times Deutschland in 2008 and 2009. In 2010, she was named one of the 100 leading women in the North American auto industry by Automotive News and received the prestigious “Female Executive of the Year” Award from the Mestemacher Group in Germany. Behrendt was also named to Diversity Journal’s “2011 Women Worth Watching” list.

Behrendt joined Ford-Werke GmbH (formerly AG) in Cologne, Germany in 1978 as a commercial apprentice. She has held a variety of supervisory and managerial positions within Material Planning and Logistics, Powertrain Operations and Purchasing in Europe as well as the United States.

Behrendt holds a business degree from the Administration and Business Academy (Verwaltungs- und Wirtschaftsakademie) in Cologne.