Lisa Drake is chief operating officer, North America, effective May 1, 2020. She reports to Kumar Galhotra, Ford’s president, Americas & International Markets Group.

In this newly created role, Drake will bring enhanced focus to product launches, warranty reduction and material cost improvements. She also will place a renewed emphasis on returning the North America business back to a 10-percent EBIT margin through her work on cost and waste reduction.

Previously, Drake served as  vice president, Global Purchasing, responsible for all category management processes and procurement functions across direct and indirect purchasing areas as well as supplier technical assistance.

She also served as vice president, Global Powertrain, responsible for all powertrain purchasing operations worldwide. She joined purchasing in 2013 as director, Global Program Purchasing, and also served as director, Global Interior Purchasing, a position she held since August 2016.

Previously, Drake held various positions in Product Development for nearly 20 years. In 2004, she led the F-150 product and launch team during the construction of the state-of-the-art Dearborn Truck Plant at the Ford Rouge Center. Her other notable positions include chief engineer, Lincoln MKC; assistant chief engineer, F-Series Super Duty; and program manager roles for Explorer and Expedition.

Drake also served as the Global Hybrid / Battery Electric Vehicle chief engineer from May 2007 to September 2010. In this position, she led the development and delivery of Fusion Hybrid, Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, and the C-Max Hybrid and Energi programs.

In addition to her work with hybrid and plug-in hybrids, Drake led the development of the Focus Electric and the Transit Connect Electric. In 2008, the Automotive Hall of Fame awarded her the Young Leadership and Excellence Award, in recognition of her contributions and leadership in the growing field of electrification.

Drake joined Ford in 1994 as a Ford College Graduate in powertrain engineering. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.