Amko Leenarts Named Ford of Europe Director of Design
Ford of Europe has named Amko Leenarts its new director of Design. Leenarts—who will lead a team in excess of 275 employees at Ford Design Studios in Merkenich, Germany and the Dunton Technical Center in Essex, United Kingdom—will be responsible for overseeing interior and exterior design for all vehicles developed by Ford of Europe for domestic and global markets.
“It’s a very exciting time for our Design teams at Ford. More and more, we’re studying how our customers interact with their vehicles, and we’re looking to create designs that can actually make people’s lives better,” Leenarts said. “We’ll never stop trying to create designs that excite and help people to have an even more emotional connection with the Ford brand.”
Ford Going Global: New F-150 Raptor reaches Chinese market for first time in company history
Prior to this appointment, Leenarts—who joined Ford in 2012—served as the director of Global Interior Design, in which position he oversaw Ford and Lincoln’s global interior design strategy and execution. As Director of Design, Leenarts will report to Moray Callum, VP of Design, Ford Motor Company.
“As Ford shapes the future of transportation, design will be the crucial differentiator,” Callum said. “Amko will help us define new products that innovate while harnessing our global design talent to deliver truly world-class products.”
Leenarts will replace Joel Piaskowski, who has been named the director of Global Design. Piaskowski’s new role will see him leading global design efforts from Ford Design Studios in Dearborn. Ford’s decision to alter the structure of its Design team—creating smaller groups that will focus on the development of vehicle in specific segments—is an effort to create a more uniform global look with upcoming and future vehicles.
More Ford News: Over-the-air update makes SYNC 3 available for select 2016 model-year Fords
The News Wheel is a digital auto magazine providing readers with a fresh perspective on the latest car news. We’re located in the heart of America (Dayton, Ohio) and our goal is to deliver an entertaining and informative perspective on what’s trending in the automotive world. See more articles from The News Wheel.