Farley takes the reins as Ford aims to evolve with the industry

Highlights of Jim Farley’s automotive career, which started in 1990 when Toyota hired him in its strategic planning department

1999: Played key role in introduction of Toyota Tundra pickup

2002: Named vice president of Scion, overseeing the launch of the youth-oriented brand

2005: Appointed vice president of Toyota marketing

2007:
April: Named group vice president and general manager of Lexus
November: Joined Ford Motor Co. as group vice president of marketing and communications

2008: Delivered emotional speech at a Las Vegas dealers meeting, saying the work he was doing at Ford was “more important” than what he did at Toyota

2010: Named executive vice president of global marketing, sales & service

2012: Named head of Lincoln, in addition to his marketing, sales and service role

2014: Oversaw Lincoln’s expansion into China and the launch of the MKC crossover

2015: Named president of Ford of Europe, Middle East and Africa

2016: Steered Ford’s European business to record profitability with increased focus on commercial vehicles, utilities and performance models

2017: Returned to the U.S. as president of global markets

2018: Addressed dealers amid restructuring plan; previewed new “Built Ford Proud” advertising campaign

2019:
March: Joined Twitter with post about his classic 1973 Bronco
May: Named head of new businesses, technology and strategy; played key roles in partnership deals with Volkswagen and Mahindra
November: Introduced Mustang Mach-E with CEO Jim Hackett. Farley in 2017 halted work on the compliance car under development and encouraged the team to develop a bolder EV, telling them to “think Mustang.”

2020:
February: Named COO
March: Visited Ford’s Dearborn Truck Plant in early days of the pandemic, helping cement Ford’s decision to shut down manufacturing operations
October: Succeeds Hackett as Ford’s 13th CEO