Ford is expected to pick Derrick Kuzak as its product czar, and the announcement could come as early as this week. He’s currently the group vice president in charge of product development (try saying that 10 times quickly) for Ford America. Prior to that, he headed product development for Ford Europe, which gives him good knowledge of how things work across both sides of the pond. It’s a long overdue move that should help give Ford a leg-up when it comes to developing cars people actually want to buy. The recent announcements about Lincoln’s RWD and Ford’s Mustang development show that they’re serious about improving things.
Update: Ford has now confirmed Derrick Kuzak has been appointed as product czar.