People Moves: Volvo Cars & Ford Motor Company

Volvo Cars appoints Olivia Ross-Wilson

To come into effect December 2021, Olivia Ross-Wilson has been appointed by Volvo Cars as Head of Communications. Ross-Wilson joins Volvo Cars from Ingka Group -  the biggest of the 12 franchises that operate IKEA stores - where she has led the companies communications for five years. 

“As a long-term fan and customer of Volvo Cars, I am very excited to be joining the company. The world needs brands and companies like Volvo Cars to thrive for the future, so I look forward to contributing to the inspiring journey they are on and to the success of its electrification strategy,” said Ross-Wilson.

In her role at Ingka Group, Ross-Wilson is a member of the executive leadership, leading communications across 30 countries. She is responsible for the strategic long-term positioning of IKEA, as well as other key brand marketing activities (PR, public affairs, internal communications, and strategic business communications).

Ross-Wilson has over 20 years of experience working in communications and positioning for consumer-facing brands and will bring this experience with her to Volvo Cars.  

Prior to joining Ingka Group, Ross-Wilson headed up the sustainability communications of IKEA Group from 2011 to 2016. She also worked in various PR and marketing roles between 1998 and 2011 for Marks & Spencers, Starbucks, Delta Airlines, Carlsberg, Coca-Cola and Mulberry via agencies and her own communication consulting company. 

“I am very pleased to welcome Olivia to Volvo Cars. I am confident that her expertise will be a valuable addition to the team as Volvo Cars transforms into a fully electric company with millions of direct consumer relationships,” added Håkan Samuelsson, chief executive of Volvo Cars. 

“I want to give our warmest welcome to Olivia. She is a modern leader with a deep and wide-ranging understanding of strategic communication, bringing valuable experience as we move towards becoming a fully electric car company. To cap it all, she knows the ins and outs of working with a brand that, similarly to Volvo Cars, has a rich Swedish heritage and creates products that are part of people’s everyday life all over the globe,” concluded Hanna Fager, head of corporate functions at Volvo Cars.

Ford Motor Company Appoints Doug Field

As Ford Motor Company continues to advance its Ford+ growth plan, the company has named Doug Field as its new Chief Advanced Technology and Embedded Systems Officer. 

Field has joined, effective immediately, Ford Motor Company from Apple, where he severed as VP of Special Projects. Prior to working at Apple Field was also Senior Vice President of Engineering at Tesla. 

Field’s new appointment at Ford Motor Company marks a return to the company, Field began his career as a development engineer at Ford Motor Company between 1987 and 1993.

“I’ve always felt a deep connection to Ford. Ford products have been in my life as long as I can remember – F-150s on my dad’s farm, a ’65 Continental picking us up at my wedding and my thrill when I discovered the brilliant elegance in the design of the Model T. I’m grateful for the opportunity to help the team build the next generation of iconic Ford vehicles and prepare Ford for the next hundred years,” said Field.

Reporting to Ford President and CEO Jim Farley, Field’s new role will include:

• Leading design, development and implementation of the Blue Oval Intelligence tech stack for Ford, Lincoln and Ford Pro products, creating intuitive and always-on experiences.
• Deliver customer-facing attributes, technologies, and features including infotainment, navigation, driver-assist, connected services, and vehicle cybersecurity.
• Developing scalable technology platforms deployable across Ford’s global products.
• Leading and managing relationships with key technology partners, as well as the digital developer ecosystem.
• Leading Ford Power-Up over-the-air updates to delight customers, improve quality, and reduce costs.

“I’m thrilled to be joining Ford as it embraces a transition to a new, complex and fascinating period in the auto industry. It will be a privilege to help Ford deliver a new generation of experiences built on the shift to electrification, software and digital experiences, and autonomy. I’m committed to helping the team make those experiences seamless, delightful and continually advancing over time,” added Field.

“Doug is one of the world’s most respected engineering and product design leaders and has been a driving force behind breakthrough products across auto, tech and mobility, including at Apple, Tesla and Segway. His talent and commitment to innovation that improves customers’ lives will be invaluable as we build out our Ford+ plan to deliver awesome products, always-on customer relationships and ever-improving user experiences. We are thrilled Doug chose to join Ford and help write the next amazing chapter of this great company,” said Farley.

Another aspect of his new role will see Field partner closely with Hau Thai-Tang - Ford’s Chief Product Platform and Operations Officer - to create the next generation of Ford’s connected products and experiences. 

“Doug’s track record of innovation and expertise with embedded systems will help Ford accelerate the development and implementation of our Blue Oval Intelligence tech stack. I’m excited to partner with and learn from Doug as we bring our Ford+ plan to life,” said Thai-Tang.

“There is a set of common principles that unite companies building world-changing products. A fundamentals approach to engineering, grounded in physics. A relentless pursuit of excellence in everything they do. An integrated way of thinking about all the disciplines that come together when developing new products. And a sensitivity to design, and why customers fall in love with products and brands. I am lucky enough to have worked in teams and companies that embody these principles, and I know they will be a part of building great products and experiences at Ford,” concluded Field.