Ford Names Rajendra “Raj” Rao CEO of Ford Smart Mobility
Ford Motor Company has announced the appointment of Rajendra “Raj” Rao as chief executive officer of Ford Smart Mobility, Ford’s subsidiary working to design, build, grow and invest in emerging mobility services.
Rao will report to Jim Hackett, Ford Smart Mobility chairman, and be based in Palo Alto, California.
As CEO, Rao will lead the creation and growth of Ford Smart Mobility’s various businesses, including the recently announced City Solutions business, the Chariot shuttle business and Greenfield Labs, Ford Smart Mobility LLC’s business model incubator.
Rao has created, built and transformed businesses for iGATE Capital, Brunswick Corporation and, most recently, 3M. As the vice president of digital business model innovation at 3M, Rao led the company’s Silicon Valley digital hub and Internet-of-Things projects, based in Redwood City, California.
He was in charge of developing new business models for the commercialization of customer solutions in the connectivity space with a special focus on smart cities, wearables and digital wellness. Rao also was responsible for championing ecosystem partnerships in collaboration with Silicon Valley accelerators and Internet-of-Things labs.
Prior to 3M, Rao led the international operations of Life Fitness as part of the Brunswick Corporation leadership team. In this role, Rao improved sales by nearly 35 percent and drove profit margins from five percent to 12 percent.
A native of Bangalore, India, Rao began his career as a financial analyst at Procter & Gamble. He has significant global experience, having worked in and led business operations in Asia, Europe, Middle East and North America. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Shri Ram College of Commerce at Delhi University and a master’s degree in management from Boston University.
Category: People
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