Gideon Wolthers was named Director of Business Strategy & Corporate Development, Ford Motor Company, effective June 1, 2010. He is responsible for the company's global corporate strategy development and oversees corporate development initiatives.

Wolthers was previously Chief Financial Officer for Ford's Asia Pacific & Africa Region, a position he held from October 2006. In this role, while based in Bangkok and subsequently Shanghai, he had responsibility for strategic planning as well as controlling all financial-related activities. Wolthers was instrumental in helping the company develop the organization and the plans to achieve accelerated growth in the Region.

Wolthers joined Ford Motor Company in 1995 and has held a number of finance positions around the world. From July 2001 to September 2006, Wolthers was at Mazda Motor Corporation based in Hiroshima, Japan, and was appointed Chief Financial Officer in 2003. Prior to that, Wolthers held senior Manufacturing and Product Development Finance positions in Ford Europe and was Chief Financial Officer for Ford's India Operations from 1995 to 1998.

From 1991 to 1995, Wolthers was the Chief Financial Officer of the South Africa Motor Corporation (SAMCOR). At that time, Ford had a 45% equity stake in SAMCOR, which assembled Ford and Mazda vehicles in South Africa. Subsequently, the SAMCOR joint venture was dissolved and Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa was established.

Raised in South Africa, Wolthers has an honors degree in accounting from the University of South Africa and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in that country. He and his wife presently reside in West Bloomfield, Michigan.