Ford CMO Suzy Deering abruptly departs

DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. on Wednesday said Chief Marketing Officer Suzy Deering, who joined the automaker in early 2021 from eBay, is leaving the company at the end of the week.

The automaker did not give a reason for her departure.

"We thank Suzy for her contributions to Ford and wish her all the best in the future," Kumar Galhotra, president of Ford Blue, said in a statement.Deering, in a post on LinkedIn, said she still believes in the company’s mission and vision.
 

“I’ve made the decision that it is time for me to move on and let the team fly,” she wrote. “My respect for the team and what’s ahead as Ford evolves and lands the new brand positioning and the new brand design system will elevate the brand to greater heights… The shift to focusing on the customer and aligning all aspects of the business to exceed their expectations isn’t easy but I believe in what’s possible and what’s ahead.
 
“While I may not be in ‘the building’ I will be rooting for Ford and smiling at what comes to life.”

Ford said it would announce her successor later.

Deering's appointment was announced roughly a month after Jim Farley took over as Ford CEO in October 2020, a signal the company wanted to reach outside the industry and bolster its tech chops against the likes of Tesla and other challengers.

Ford described Deering at the time as "accomplished at using technology, data and analytics to anticipate customer needs and fulfill them with human-centered products and services."

Under her watch, the automaker launched key products including the Bronco, F-150 Lightning and Maverick.

Deering told Automotive News in late 2021 that the company hoped the Maverick compact pickup could become its next iconic product.

"It has the absolute potential to be the level of an F-150 or the level of a Mustang because it's so connected in such a different way to the customer," she said. "When we've done well, we build vehicles and products that customers become extremely passionate about. Maverick 100 percent lives up to that. I think it's on that path."

Deering was an Automotive News All Star in 2021. She and Ford's chief communications officer, Mark Truby, were recognized for using several news events to earn the company significant publicity, such as when the F-150's on-board generator helped Texans deal with power outages and when President Joe Biden test drove a yet-to-be-revealed F-150 Lightning during a visit to Michigan.