New Ford Executive for Global Brand Merchandising

Ford has created a new position called global brand merchandising director and filled it with a fresh face in the form of Alexandra Ford English, who is the daughter of Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford. English already serves on the Ford board of directors, but this new position will allow her to start creating sales growth in the global merchandising sector for the Ford brand.

Meeting Passionate Ford Fans Around the World

There’s no doubt that merchandise is a big part of brand recognition. English says that Ford fans are all over the world and that Ford wants to meet them with an inspiring collection of various accessories and merchandise. She adds that she’s excited to take on this new opportunity to grow the Ford business in the merchandise sector as well as to find new ways to connect fans with the brand.

Currently, Ford offers a wide range of merchandise and apparel through official Ford stores online in both America and Australia, among other areas. Ford fans around the world can typically also find Ford merchandise at Ford dealers. Ford merchandise is often model-specific, representing popular brands like the Mustang, Raptor, and F-Series trucks, among others.

Ford Family Affair

English, who is 33 and holds a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, was previously in the position of corporate strategy director. She was elected to Ford’s board of directors in May of 2021, along with her cousin, Henry Ford III. Henry Ford III is the son of Edsel Ford, who retired in 2021 after 33 years as a director. Both of the younger Fords are the great-great-grandchildren of Ford founder Henry Ford. Ford is well-known for keeping many of its top positions in the company within the Ford family. English originally joined the Ford company in 2017 after working for companies like Tory Burch and Gap Inc. as a profit and loss specialist in the merchandising division.

The new appointment of English to this position is just another step in bringing forth the new generation of the Ford family to run the company. Bill Ford is currently 64, and many expect him to retire sometime in the near future. It’s very possible that English is one of those on a short list in the Ford family that might be expected to take over CEO duties eventually.

Along with Ford’s new offerings in the future, you are very likely to see new and expanded merchandise at your local Ford dealer as well. If you’re a Ford fan and like to show it off, this new push and focus on merchandising should be very exciting.