The head of Apple’s car project, Doug Field, will join Ford Motor, where he will lead the company’s advanced technology and embedded systems efforts.
In his new position, Field will report to Ford Chief Executive Jim Farley while working with Ford’s chief product platform and operations officer Hau Thai-Tang, who oversees the development and design of cars and trucks, the supply chain and other operations.
Field’s employment and the management structure created for him underscore the increasing importance of software and digital networking in the automotive industry.
But Field is now expected to address the growing need to blend Silicon Valley’s software culture with the automotive industry’s manufacturing mentality – a problem that continues to prove difficult for many tech startups and automaker executives.
Commenting on the deal, Farley said: “This is a watershed moment for our company.”
For more information, read the original story in Reuters.