Ford is cementing its relationship with EV startup Rivian with the announcement that Alexandra Ford English will join the latter’s board of directors effective immediately.
Daughter of Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford, English is also the director of Corporate Strategy for Ford—responsible for the company’s enterprise strategy and connectivity and digital network strategy.
“Alexandra and I share a deep passion for mobility and electrification, and her connection to Ford’s long family role in transportation is something special. I am looking forward to working closely with her and the perspective that she will bring to the Board,” said RJ Scaringe, Rivian founder and CEO.
Ford made an initial equity investment of USD 500 million in Rivian in April 2019, and an additional equity investment in December. Moreover, Ford has announced plans to develop vehicles using the Tesla rival’s flexible skateboard platform. The first vehicle was supposed to have been premium brand Lincoln’s first EV, but citing economic complications brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, those plans have since been canceled.
“Our strategic partnership with Rivian plays an important role in the future of fully networked battery electric vehicles,” said Jim Hackett, Ford president and CEO. “With Alexandra’s experience in mobility and self-driving services, she will bring a unique perspective to Rivian’s board during this transformational time in our industry.”
English joined Ford Motor Company in 2017. Prior to joining the corporate strategy team, she was a member of the Ford Autonomous Vehicle LLC team and a member of the City Solutions team. Before joining Ford, she was responsible for managing profit and loss operations for customer-centric businesses in the merchandising divisions of Tory Burch in New York and Gap Inc. in San Francisco.
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