Ford last night confirmed the appointment of Jim Farley as group vice president of marketing and communications, having lured the respected executive to Detroit after almost two decades – mostly in sunny California – with Toyota and Lexus.
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“We are thrilled to welcome one of the most successful and talented leaders in the industry to the Ford Motor Company team,” said president and Alan Mulally, himself recruited from Boeing in the last year. “Jim Farley is well known for innovative marketing strategies that connect great products to today’s and tomorrow’s customers.”
Farley, who launched the Toyota youth brand Scion in the US, and is apparently well liked by the automaker’s dealers, will be Ford’s most senior marketing chief and will report direct to Mulally.
He will oversee integrated marketing, advertising, digital communications, brand development, product planning, research, product communications and public relations – global communications and public relations will now report to him.
Farley, 45, most recently was group vice president and general manager of Lexus, responsible for all sales, marketing and customer satisfaction activities for Toyota’s luxury brand. He joined the automaker in 1990 in the strategic planning department after receiving an MBA and served in senior roles such as vice president and general manager of Scion, group vice president of marketing for the Toyota Division, general manager of product management for Toyota Europe and a variety of product planning, marketing and advertising roles.
Ford said that Farley and his family would be moving to the Detroit area.
Separately, Toyota Motor Sales USA announced the promotion of Scion vice president Mark Templin to succeed Farley as group vice president and general manager of Lexus.
Lentz also announced two other executive promotions. Jack Hollis, corporate manager of Scion, will succeed Templin as vice president of Scion and Dawn Ahmed, Toyota Division national cross vehicle marketing manager, will replace Hollis as corporate manager of Scion.
Lentz praised Farley’s work at Toyota but noted that “Toyota has an amazingly deep bench, and the new promotions provided an opportunity to reward a number of top performers.”
He also insisted that “Farley’s selection [by Ford] shows how highly the industry prizes the talent, knowledge and experience of TMS associates.”
