Christian Weingärtner appointed head of passenger vehicles for Ford Europe
In this role, Weingärtner will also oversee the introduction of a new generation of affordable battery-electric vehicles through the strategic partnership with Renault announced in December, as stated by Ford. He will also lead the strategy team and a newly established partnerships team at Ford in Europe.
Weingärtner was appointed Managing Director of Marketing and Sales and Managing Director for Ford in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in 2022. However, as part of a comprehensive restructuring in Cologne, he stepped down from the management board in November 2024 but continued his operational duties as Managing Director of the DACH region until around a year ago. In January 2025, Ford appointed Weingärtner as Vice President of Europe Business Transformation within the European management team.
In his role as Vice President of Business Transformation in Europe, he played a key role in shaping Ford’s future strategy in Europe and drove critical partnership projects, according to Ford. His contributions clearly convinced the decision-makers to entrust him with greater responsibility as General Manager of Passenger Vehicles.
As General Manager of Passenger Vehicles, Weingärtner will effectively serve as the passenger vehicle counterpart to Hans Schep, General Manager of Ford Pro in Europe. While this position has long existed within the commercial vehicles division, it is newly created for the passenger vehicles segment. Ford states that Schep will ‘will continue in his role as General Manager, Ford Pro, Europe, maintaining Ford’s leadership in the commercial sector – a pillar of its European profitability.’
“As we enter this next chapter, we are leveraging strategic partnerships to deliver more affordable and iconic Ford products for our European customers,” said Jim Baumbick, President, Ford Europe. “Christian’s deep strategic expertise and operational experience make him the right leader to ensure our future passenger vehicles remain unmistakably Ford, while delivering our commercial ambitions.”
Baumbick himself has only been President of Ford Europe since 1 November 2025. Until then, Weingärtner, as Vice President of Europe Business Transformation, was the highest-ranking Ford executive in Europe.
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