Back in May, Ford announced that Anthony Lo – who succeeded Moray Callum, vice president, design, for Ford and Lincoln vehicles, back in 2021 – would be leaving the company to explore other opportunities. At that time, Ford noted that it hadn’t yet tabbed a successor for Lo, who had previously spent time at Lotus, Audi, Daimler, Saab, Europe, and Renault, with the latter company becoming a long-term position for him prior to his years at The Blue Oval. Now, FoMoCo has announced who will replace its former head of design.
That person is Todd Willing, who has been named as Ford and Lincoln’s new head of design for the entire globe, effective today. Willing is no stranger to The Blue Oval, however, as he previously served as the company’s global design director for Ford Model e, and originally came on board with the automaker in 2003.
Looking further back, Willing began his automotive career at the tender age of 15, when he was in high school. It was then that he enrolled in a work experience program that was offered by the Ford Australian design team as it sought to foster future talent in that area. Since he formally joined Ford in 2003, Willing has had a hand in designing a number of iconic models for various global markets, and has worked in Japan, Germany, Europe, the U.S., and in Australia, where he led the company’s Asia-Pacific design studio.
Willing – who has a bachelor’s degree in industrial design from Monash University in Australia but currently lives in southeastern Michigan – was involved in the design of the 2007 Ford Mondeo, 2009 Ford Fiesta, and 2010 Ford Focus, was exterior chief designer for the 2017 Ford GT, and while serving as the global design director for Ford Trucks and SUVs, Willing led teams responsible for the Ford F-150, Ford Super Duty, Ford Ranger, Ford Bronco, Ford Maverick, Ford Explorer, and Ford Expedition.
We’ll have more on all of Ford’s executive shakeups as they happen, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for 24/7 Ford news coverage.
Comments
It´s useless the talent of this man if he is going to be used to design boring SUV´s and crossovers.
Hopefully he doesn’t wear the same ruffled, pink panties of the other designers and engineers. Opportunities to beef up the appearance of every truck line. Make them look and sound like trucks, no kidding dual exhaust for a truck is okay…my wife’s Edge has dual exhaust for crying out load. So many opportunities to make the entire truck line the class of the industry in both appearance and performance…but oh Ford filed a patent to launch drones from its vehicles. Come on, Man!!!!!!!!!
Hoping to bring a sedan model back.
Still waiting for any Ford or Lincoln sedans……please!
I hope Willing is willing to put some teeth into new Ford designs. I hope he has some gasoline is veins. These BORING SUVs have got to go. And the Mustang still looks like a damned camaro
When I tell people that the Mazda Miata was developed under Ford (Mark Fields ran the Japanese brand) they don’t believe me. A classic sports car and it has remained so interestingly. You might want to read Mr. Field’s Wikipedia posting. PS I lived in Detroit in the 60s and 70s and then again from 2000 to 2019. Mr. Ford (Henry Ford II) put “food on our table and a “roof over our heads” as the saying went. On my desk I have metal replicas of the 1932 Ford Coupe, 1955 Thunderbird, and the 1964 1/2 Mustang. Classics… When Ford design was good it was great.
GO GET UM TODD!!! And GOOD LUCK, your gonna Need It!!!
I hope he initiates the redesign of the 2025 Ford Maverick front end. Previous model years of the Maverick front end were far better. It appears he understands and appreciates Ford design based on his interest in previous Ford models.
Be the new Jack Telnack! Give Lincoln the proper LS, Continental and Mark9 drawing form heritage design. Give Lincoln breakthrough designs again.