Ford Chief Marketing Officer Lisa Materazzo Steps Down

Ford has announced that Lisa Materazzo, its Global Chief Marketing Officer, will be stepping down from her role as of June 1 to “begin a new chapter”. 

Dean Stonely, currently the company’s Executive Director of Global Product Marketing, will step in as Interim CMO. 

Having first joined Ford in 2023, Lisa has helped modernise the company’s marketing strategy through its ‘Ready, Set, Ford Plan’ and supported its Ford+ growth plan. 

“We appreciate Lisa’s significant contributions to the Ford+ plan, including building a world-class team, driving customer loyalty and supporting our dealers around the world. We wish her the best in her next chapter,” said Jim Farley, Ford President and CEO. 

“Dean has a proven track record of global marketing leadership, having served as CEO of Ford Canada and CEO of FordDirect, and brings extensive experience in digital strategy and advance product marketing to the role.”

Ready, Set, Ford

During her tenure as Chief Marketing Officer, Lisa introduced ‘Ready, Set, Ford’, the company’s first unified global marketing and brand platform in more than 15 years.  

Created to “re-energise the Ford brand for a new era,” the campaign involved a shift towards “leading with the customer lifestyles we serve’ and showcasing its “most distinctive” products, services and experiences to help rebuild “aspiration and excitement,” for the brand.

“Too often, we’ve let our volume offerings define the brand and kept our most capable and passionate products for enthusiasts ‘in the know’,” Lisa said. “Going forward, we’ll lean into our best, including incorporating our leadership in motorsports and Ford Pro in our advertising, highlighting how our most passionate and capable products serve our customers.”

Before joining Ford, Lisa spent more than nine years at Toyota North America – joining the company as a Corporate Manager for Media Strategy and Digital Engagement, before progressing to be its Group Vice President of Digital Marketing. 

American Value. For American Values.

Reflecting on her time at Ford, Lisa said: “It has been an incredible honour to serve as Global CMO during this era of unprecedented change. 

“I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to my amazing team. Together, we achieved remarkable milestones and evolved an American icon. 

“Collaborating across the organisation, partnering with our world-class dealers and working alongside trusted partners to launch Ford’s new global brand strategy has been a profoundly rewarding experience.”

Under this new global brand strategy, Lisa has launched several successful marketing initiatives – including the company’s recent “American Value. For American Values.” campaign. 

Released in line with the upcoming 250-year anniversary of the United States, the campaign involved an extension of employee pricing on its 2025 and 2026 Lincoln vehicles, so customers can pay what a Ford employee pays. 

According to Ford, this can save buyers anywhere in the range of several hundred to several thousand dollars. 

The campaign has been designed to “give back to the people who keep America moving,” – such as construction and manufacturing workers. 

Lisa said of the campaign: “We’re not talking about a traditional promotion. We’re talking about aligning what we say with what we do – we wanted to bring those values to life.”