• Elena Ford is named Chief Customer Experience Officer and will be responsible for creating a world-class customer experience spanning across the entire ownership cycle
• John Savona is elected a company officer and appointed head of North American manufacturing operations

Dearborn, Mich., Oct. 15, 2018 – Ford Motor Company today announced that Elena Ford has been named Chief Customer Experience Officer. In this role, she will lead the organization responsible for creating a world-class customer experience throughout the entire ownership cycle. The company also announced that John Savona is named vice president, North American Manufacturing. 

In this role, Elena Ford, 52, will report to Joe Hinrichs, Ford president, Global Operations. The realignment of customer experience under Global Operations will allow Elena Ford, 52, to work with Ford Customer Service Division and the Quality organization to more tightly connect the design and implementation of a world-class customer experience system that connects the interactions between Ford and its customers around the world. In her role, she will continue to be closely integrated with the Sales and Marketing organization and global dealer network.

“Elena is the ideal leader to take on the challenge of bringing Ford to world-class levels in terms of customer experience. She has a genuine passion and unwavering focus on doing what’s right for our customers and a deep connection with our dealers,” Hinrichs said. “She has the ability to work across the Ford organization and regions and will ensure that everything we do is designed around the customer.”

Working with Ford’s business operations around the world, Elena Ford will lead a team tasked with identifying key customer pain points that have the highest potential to drive improved business results, from digital sites to call centers and service bays. To support the company’s transformation, the team will address today’s issues and will leverage data, and create policies and practices to create the interactions of tomorrow and exceed customer expectations.  

“Our customers see Ford as one company and they don’t distinguish between the company, our call center and the dealers,” Elena Ford said. “Our goal is to be the most trusted company and we must deliver the most trusted experience for our customers. For our loyal customers, this could mean a faster oil change, a more intuitive app or an easier way to schedule servicing.”

Also today, the company announced John Savona is appointed vice president, North American Manufacturing. At the same time, he is elected a company officer. In this role, Savona, 50, will be responsible for Ford’s North America manufacturing footprint – the company’s largest with more than 30 manufacturing plants.

“John has nearly 30 years of experience in Ford manufacturing, having held leadership positions in many of our manufacturing facilities and been responsible for key areas including global quality improvement,” said Gary Johnson, group vice president, Manufacturing and Labor Affairs. “We are excited to have his expertise focused on building the very best vehicles with the highest quality here in North America.”

Previously, Savona served as Ford’s director of Global Manufacturing Quality with responsibility for ensuring continuous improvement in quality in all Ford manufacturing facilities globally. He began his career with Ford in 1989 as a security officer at Ford’s Wayne (Mich.) Assembly Plant after three years of service in the U.S. Army. Throughout his time at Ford, he has held a variety of roles with increasing responsibility in the manufacturing organization.

Related information

• For biographical information Elena Ford, click here.
• For biographical information on John Savona, click here.