Ford Motor Co. CEO Jim Farley walks to communicate at a information convention on the Rouge Complex in Dearborn, Michigan, September 17, 2020.
Rebecca Cook | Reuters
DETROIT — Ford Motor has employed an internet retail gross sales veteran as its new chief digital and data officer — marking the second high-profile appointment to CEO Jim Farley’s executive crew prior to now week.
The automaker mentioned Monday that Mike Amend, who was most lately president of on-line for Lowe’s, will oversee Ford’s data, software and expertise, efficient instantly. Those are key areas to Farley’s Ford+ turnaround plan that is designed to reposition the automaker to generate extra recurring income by way of software companies.
“Mike provides dimension to our crew as we use expertise and software to remodel our firm and transportation from the inside-out,” Farley mentioned in a press release. “Ford has at all times been an innovator in autos; now we’re taking our digital capabilities to new ranges to additional differentiate ourselves with clients and from opponents.”
At Lowe’s, Amend assisted in turning across the retailer’s on-line technique. The firm’s on-line gross sales greater than doubled in 2020 in contrast with the yr prior. The overhaul made it higher positioned to seize {dollars} through the house enchancment increase. It additionally added a whole lot of new choices, comparable to curbside pickup and in-store lockers the place clients may retrieve on-line purchases.
Before Lowe’s, the 43-year-old held comparable positions with J.C. Penney and Home Depot, in accordance to his LinkedIn profile. He additionally beforehand labored at Dell Technologies and Sprint.
Ford mentioned Amend’s crew will work carefully with these led by Hau Thai-Tang, the corporate’s chief product platform and operations officer, and Doug Field, who joined Ford last week from Apple as chief superior expertise and embedded methods officer.
Amend and Field are main hires for Ford, which is seen by many buyers as being behind crosstown rival General Motors when it comes to rising applied sciences comparable to electrical and automotive autos. Both are focuses below Ford’s turnaround plan.
–CNBC’s Melissa Repko contributed to this report.