Ford Case Study

Client Overview

Ford Motor Company, a globally recognized automotive leader, embarked on a company transformation that highlighted the need for a more diverse and inclusive leadership team. To achieve this, Ford partnered with Sustainable Talent to support executive-level hiring at the Director level and above, ensuring that the newly appointed leaders aligned with Ford’s values and strategic vision.

Challenge

Ford required a strategic recruitment partner to fill 10-15 high-impact executive roles with a strong emphasis on diversity and inclusion. This transformation initiative presented the challenge of identifying and securing top-tier talent who could contribute to Ford’s innovative culture and drive the company’s future growth.

Solution: Executive Search-On-Demand

Sustainable Talent implemented a customized Executive Search-On-Demand model specifically designed for Ford’s needs. The solution included a team of experienced consultants dedicated to sourcing, assessing, and presenting executive talent across critical divisions. Key components of this approach included:

1. Comprehensive Market Mapping: Sustainable Talent conducted an extensive market analysis, identifying prospective candidates across the automotive and broader Consumer Discretionary sectors.
2. Diversity-Focused Sourcing Strategy: Emphasizing diverse backgrounds and perspectives, Sustainable Talent created a talent pipeline that aligned with Ford’s commitment to diversity and inclusion at the leadership level.
3. Collaborative, High-Touch Recruitment Process: Sustainable Talent’s team engaged in every phase of the search, from initial outreach and evaluations to reference checks, ensuring that each candidate presented met Ford’s high standards for skill, cultural fit, and leadership potential.
4. Detailed Market Intelligence: Sustainable Talent provided Ford with competitive intelligence and insights into talent availability, supporting Ford’s decision-making and helping align recruitment efforts with industry trends.

Results

1. Diverse Leadership Pipeline: Sustainable Talent successfully met Ford’s diversity objectives, building a leadership pipeline with a strong focus on inclusivity, which enhanced Ford’s organizational culture and strategic capabilities.
2. High-Quality Candidate Pool: Through a rigorous selection process, Sustainable Talent delivered a highly qualified shortlist, allowing Ford to choose leaders who aligned with the company’s vision for transformation and diversity.
3. Positive Impact on Culture and Innovation: The placement of diverse leaders in key roles contributed positively to Ford’s culture, fostering innovation and improving customer engagement across multiple divisions.
4. Roles Filled: Sustainable Talent filled executive positions in Product Marketing, Autonomous Vehicles, Total Rewards, Finance, and Digital Products Engineering, all aligning with Ford’s inclusive leadership vision.

Client Feedback

“Sustainable Talent was retained by Ford Motor Company in March 2022 to assist with a significant lift in executive (Director and above) hiring due to a company transformation. The Sustainable team joined the Ford business in a time of considerable chaos and change. In that time, they have seamlessly integrated into the Executive Talent Acquisition team. The team has also been successful in achieving time to fill and diverse slate metrics. I am most appreciative of the Sustainable team’s ability to collaborate effectively with myself and the team to achieve mutual success.”
— June Boda, Head of Executive Talent Acquisition, Ford Motor Company‍

Impact for Future Partnerships

This case study showcases Sustainable Talent’s ability to drive high-impact, diversity-focused executive search initiatives. By leveraging a customized Executive Search-On-Demand model, Sustainable Talent successfully supported Ford’s goals for leadership diversity and cultural transformation, providing a scalable, adaptable model for future partnerships with similar values and aspirations.

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