Jim Baumbick becomes president of Ford Europe

He is set to take up the post on 1 November, according to Ford. “In this role, Baumbick, who most recently served as vice president, Advanced Product Development, Cycle Planning and Programs, will lead the strategic direction for the company’s European business unit to drive stronger alignment with key stakeholders in the region, develop products relevant for European customers and drive faster, more efficient execution,” the carmaker said.

Baumbick is an experienced Ford manager with a background in product planning. Most recently, he served as vice president of advanced product development, cycle planning and programmes, reporting to COO Kumar Galhotra. In his new role, he will report to John Lawler, vice chairman of Ford. Baumbick has previously held various positions at Ford, including global head of product development, and he worked in Cologne from 2014 to 2016 as director of global development for the C platform.

There is no direct predecessor for Baumbick in this position. The post of Ford’s European president was most recently vacant. Since January 2025, Christian Weingärtner has been the highest-ranking Ford manager in Europe as Vice President of Europe Business Transformation, responsible for operational business. As Ford confirmed to the German automobile publication Automobilwoche, Weingärtner’s position will remain unchanged.

ford.com, automobilwoche.de (in German)

This article was first published by Sebastian Schaal for electrive’s German edition.