Ford Credit has named Brian Schaaf as the next chief financial officer, as the current office holder moves into Ford’s overhauled mobility business.

The high-level moves reflect the increasing importance Ford has been assigning to its finance and mobility operations.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Premium Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Schaaf, currently global controller of global purchasing within the Ford group, will take up the role from Marion Harris. Since joining Ford in 1989, he has held a variety of positions in financial analysis, including in the UK, and was also group assistant treasurer for seven years.

Joy Falotico, Ford Credit chairman and chief executive officer, said: “I am pleased to have Brian join Ford Credit as we continue our profitable growth, supporting Ford’s automotive and mobility businesses. Brian has broad finance, treasury, auditing, international and leadership experience. He will bring a wealth of valuable experience, skills and insights to our team.”

Revamped mobility division

Current chief financial officer Harris is moving into a mobility division that will be heavily overhauled by Ford.

The group has acquired startups Autonomic , developer of a cloud platform for transport, and TransLoc, provider of microtransit and infrastructure connectivity products.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Additionally, Ford announced the creation of four distinct groups within the mobility business:

  • Ford X, part of Ford Smart Mobility. The group will work on reaching out to new businesses and incubating them, starting with Autonomic. Ford already collaborates with Silicon Valley incubator Pivotal.
  • Mobility Business Group, responsible for scaling up existing mobility operations, including platforms for connected vehicles. Marion Harris will take up the role of vice president for the group.
  • Mobility Platforms and Products, in charge of developing the technology underpinning mobility products.
  • Mobility Platforms and Products, to drive demand among consumers, commercial customers and cities, switching from regional outreach to a global one.

Appointments have been made to head each group, both from within Ford and from the newly-acquired companies.

Marcy Klevorn, president for Ford Mobility, said: “We believe transportation done right – as part of a systems approach – can bring life back to our cities … As we deliver on our commitment to provide solutions for cities’ transportation challenges, an important part of our process is to determine whether to build, buy or partner the capabilities required.

“We believe the integration of the technology and talent from Autonomic and TransLoc into our Mobility team will further bolster our ability to deliver robust solutions for personal owners, fleet operators and cities, with speed and at scale.”

“2018 is the year Ford Mobility moves from foundation building to product and service delivery, and we are acting decisively to ensure our teams are set up for success.”

Ford aims to connect 100% of new vehicles in the US by 2019, and 90% globally by 2020.