photos courtesy of ford motor co.
Trevor Worthington, left, has been named vice president of global product development operations and vehicle programs. Graham Pearson will succeed him as vice president of product development in the Asia Pacific region.
Ford Motor Co. today announced it has named Trevor Worthington vice president of global product development operations and vehicle programs, and tapped Graham Pearson to succeed him as vice president of product development in the Asia Pacific region.
In this new role, Worthington will lead Ford’s global vehicle programs and be responsible for coordinating the company’s product development resources to bring new products to market. He also will have responsibility for driving competitive material costs and engineering expenses throughout the development cycle, according to Ford.
“With Trevor’s broad experience across some of the world’s fastest-growing markets, he will help us meet the needs of our diverse customer base by bringing together the best of Ford’s product development capabilities,” says Hau Thai-Tang, Ford’s executive vice president of product development and purchasing. “This will enable us to bring exciting new vehicles to market faster and more efficiently.”
In his previous position as vice president of product development, Asia Pacific, Worthington spearheaded the development and introduction of key nameplates to deliver on Ford’s plan to bring more than 50 new vehicles to China by 2025, including the Territory midsize SUV, Focus and Escort.
He also oversaw the investment of more than $189 million in the Ford Research and Engineering Center to strengthen and expand the company’s engineering and vehicle testing capabilities in Nanjing, China.
Pearson takes over leadership of product development in Asia Pacific and China. During his 31-year career with Ford, Pearson has served in a variety of product development positions in China, Australia, and the U.S., and has worked extensively across India, Thailand, and other markets. Previously, he was vehicle line director for cars and SUVs for Ford Asia Pacific.
“Graham’s deep experience across Asia Pacific – managing the delivery of multiple vehicle programs all the way from planning to production – will be an asset as he steps up to lead our PD organization in the region,” Thai-Tang says.
