Ford promotes UK MD to European marketing role

Ford of Britain managing director Paul Thomas has been promoted to vice-president of marketing at Ford of Europe.

Thomas will be responsible for all of Ford’s pan-European consumer advertising and product marketing communications and reports to Ford of Europe’s vice-president of marketing, sales and service, Stephen Odell, in his new role. He replaces Jürgen Stackmann, who takes up a senior role in the sales and marketing department at Ford of Germany.

Ford of Britain has also appointed Roelant de Waard as managing director to succeed Thomas.

De Waard, who was previously head of Ford of Europe’s customer service division, will also take on the role of chairman of Ford of Britain, which has been vacant since Roger Putnam retired at the end of 2005.

Odell was appointed chairman-elect at Ford of Britain last year (MW May 5, 2005) but was promoted to the top marketing role at Ford of Europe shortly after joining the company from Mazda in July.

Thomas, who will be based at Ford’s technical development centre in Dunton, Essex, joined Ford of Britain in 2001 as sales director and was promoted to managing director in 2002.

De Waard’s previous experience includes a spell as managing director of Ford Netherlands. He has also held senior global marketing and product development roles in the US.