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Doug Field, the high-profile executive who shaped Ford\u2019s electric vehicle (EV) and technology strategies over the past five years, is leaving the automaker. Field\u2019s departure was announced<\/a> Wednesday as part of a broader reorganization of the company\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n Field joined Ford<\/a> in 2021 with a robust resume from Silicon Valley that included leading Apple\u2019s special projects team and serving as senior vice president of engineering at Tesla. His hiring was more than just a return to his professional roots. (Field began his career at Ford as a development engineer from 1987 to 1993.) The hiring was meant to drive Ford CEO Jim Farley\u2019s vision to turn the legacy automaker into a leader in software, EVs, and other advanced technology.<\/p>\n Field directly reported to Farley, tasked initially with overseeing the company\u2019s embedded software and hardware operations, covering vehicle controls, enterprise connectivity, features, integration and validation, architecture and platform, driver assistance technology, and digital engineering tools. In practice, this made him responsible for the design, development, and implementation of the entire tech stack used in Ford and Lincoln vehicles, including infotainment, navigation, driver-assist technology, connected services, and vehicle cybersecurity.<\/p>\n Field was a visible figure at Ford whom Farley often praised on the company\u2019s earnings calls. He was among the key leaders when the automaker split its business<\/a> into three units: the EV and digital services division, the traditional internal combustion engine business, and the commercial vehicles unit. And he was behind Ford\u2019s skunkworks program<\/a> \u2014 a secretive internal team \u2014 to build a low-cost electric vehicle.<\/p>\n Under the reorganization laid out Wednesday, Ford has created what it calls a \u201cproduct creation and industrialization\u201d team to be led by COO Kumar Galhotra. Ford\u2019s electric vehicle and design team, which Field led, will be folded into this new organization.<\/p>\n The new organization comes with ambitious targets, including an 8% adjusted profit margin for its Ford+ commercial business by 2029. The team will also oversee Ford\u2019s plan to refresh 80% of its North American portfolio by volume and 70% of its global portfolio by 2029. This will include the Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) platform, a mid-sized pickup, and the next-generation F-150 and F-Series Super Duty trucks.<\/p>\n The UEV platform is what the Ford skunkworks program \u2014 now known as the Advanced Development Projects team \u2014 developed. Alan Clarke, a former Tesla executive who has led that skunkworks program, is now vice president of Advanced Development Projects.<\/p>\n