Apple Car Project Chief Joins Ford

The Project Chief for the Apple Car, Doug Field, has accepted an offer from the Ford Motor Company to lead its advanced technology and embedded systems effort.

Field has had an illustrious career as the Vice President of special projects at Apple prior to which he was the Senior Vice President of Engineering at Tesla. His latest recruitment is being termed as ‘a hiring coup’ for Ford’s Chief Executive, Jim Farley.

The Express Tribune reported today that Field will be reporting to Farley, and will lead the software and connectivity strategy while Ford’s development of cars and trucks and its supply chain will be overseen by its Chief Product Platform and Operation’s Officer, Hau Thai-Tand.

Jim Farley had taken over Ford as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in October last year and stressed the importance of developing stronger digital services to generate revenue from consumers.

Field’s hiring and the change in the management structure to accommodate him highlights the importance of software and digital connectivity for the automotive industry in the coming years.

Apple stated, “We’re grateful for the contributions Doug has made to Apple and we wish him all the best in this next chapter”.

It is still not clear what Field’s departure means for Apple as it was developing a vehicle under its own brand while aiming to launch its electric car with advanced battery technology by 2024.

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