Design director Anthony Lo, hired by Ford Motor Co. in 2021, told his team he will leave the company effective May 14.
Ford spokesman TR Reid confirmed the news, saying Lo notified his team via email on Wednesday that he had chosen to explore new opportunities. The company did not release a press release announcing the departure.
“A search for a replacement is underway,” Reid said Thursday. “In the meantime, a series of interim assignments will ensure work continues uninterrupted.”
Lo, who reports to Douglas Campodirector of EV, chief digital and design officer at Ford who joined from Apple in 2021, was “responsible for creating a line of products and services that are unique, authentic and true to Ford values as customers expect smarter vehicles , increasingly connected and increasingly electric.” ,” according to his company’s online bio.
Born in Hong Kong, Lo began working in the auto industry in 1987 when a professor at London’s Royal College of Art, where he earned a master’s degree in automotive design, offered him a position at Lotus Cars in England, Ford said. when Lo was hired. Lo went on to design the Lotus Carlton, the fastest such car in the world at the time, Ford said.
Lo said his familiarity with Ford began as a young adult on the streets of Hong Kong, where the Ford brand maintains a strong presence, Ford said in its statement.
Before Ford, Lo worked as vice president of exterior design at Groupe Renault, where he spent 11 years. Previously, he worked as design director at General Motors Europe. Lo led the development of Renault’s “Life Cycle” design strategy, which featured a series of award-winning concept cars such as the Dezir, Captur, R-Space and Frendzy, according to his company biography.
Ford wasn’t Lo’s only experience with the Detroit Three. He was director of advanced design at General Motors Europe overseeing projects for Saab Opel and Vauxhall from 2004 to 2010. Before that he worked at Mercedes-Benz in Japan where he worked on the company’s Maybach concept and S-Class vehicles his bio said.
As of Thursday, Lo had not changed or updated his LinkedIn professional profile to announce the news or give clues about your next professional steps.
More: Ford Salaries 2023: How Much CEO Jim Farley Earned
More: Ford announces management changes, including Toyota CMO and Ford family roles
Contact Phoebe Wall Howard: 313-618-1034 or phoward@freepress.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter @phoebesaid. Read more at Ford and register on our automobile newsletter.
This article originally appeared in the Detroit Free Press: The design director sends an email to the team saying he is leaving Ford
