Worthington named Ford's VP of global product development operations

Ford Motor Co. has appointed Trevor Worthington, who helped oversee development of the Ranger pickup and was heading the effort to introduce more than 50 new vehicles in China, to lead the automaker's global vehicle programs under product development chief Hau Thai-Tang.

Worthington, 55, is a Ford veteran of 33 years, working mainly in its product development and product strategy division, according to Ford.

"With Trevor's broad experience across some of the world's fastest-growing markets, he will help us meet the needs of our diverse customer base by bringing together the best of Ford's product development capabilities," Thai-Tang said in a statement Monday.

Graham Pearson, 52, will now lead product development in Asia Pacific and China, Ford said. In his most recent role, Pearson oversaw the automaker's cars and SUVs for Asia Pacific as vehicle line director. Previously, he held other director and senior executive level positions under Ford's product development and engineering divisions.

It's no secret that Ford has been struggling with consumers' switch of preference from sedans to utilities and pickups. Through November, Ford's U.S. car sales plummeted 18 percent while light-truck sales gained 1.5 percent.