Kyle Johnson
No Comments

Fast Company Names Ford’s Ted Cannis One of its Most Creative People in Business

Decrease Font Size Increase Font Size Text Size Print This Page
Ford Pro CEO Ted Cannis standing by a Grabber Blue 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E in the woods with his arms crossed
Fast Company names Ford Pro CEO Ted Cannis one of its Most Creative People
Photo: Ford

Ted Cannis, who was announced as the new CEO of Ford Pro back in June, was recently honored by Fast Company as one of its Most Creative People in Business 2021. Among the reasons for the honor, Cannis is credited for the successful launch of the Mustang Mach-E, which has proven a hot commodity for Ford.


More Hot Commodities: 2021 Ford Bronco Sport picks up KBB’s Coolest Car Under $30K award


The former global director of Battery Electric Vehicles was essential in the development and rollout of the Mustang Mach-E, Ford’s first new EV product in what will be an onslaught of vehicles. Fast Company lauds Cannis for deciding to focus on the emotional appeal of the Mustang brand rather than the traditional EV talking points, which has significantly broadened its appeal.

And that’s why Cannis earns the honor for, in Fast Company’s words, reaching a new generation. Fellow honorees in that subcategory of the Most Creative People in Business 2021 include Judas and the Black Messiah writer and director Shaka King; and Kyle Miller, the head of Tinder’s Z Team focused specifically on connecting with Gen Z singles.

Cannis scores by marketing Mustang Mach-E toward non-traditional EV customers

2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT in Cyber Orange on track
Cannis and his team wisely marketed the Mustang Mach-E toward younger drivers
Photo: Ford

Cannis and his team conducted market research and found that the Mustang Mach-E would appeal to younger and more tech-savvy drivers who wanted more than just a sustainable vehicle.

“You had SUV people who wanted something sporty and fun, and performance people who wanted something fast and cool. That means Mustang,” Cannis said. He pushed for two years to have the Mustang brand applied to the EV — a point that still rustles more than a few jimmies with auto enthusiasts.

But the Mustang Mach-E has shaken up a bit more than the sensibilities of purists. Since launching at the start of the year, Ford’s all-new EV has taken a major bite out of the market share of Tesla, the current champion of all things electric. According to Fast Company, the Mustang Mach-E has “almost single-handedly” knocked Tesla’s share of the EV market from 81 percent down to 69 percent. That’s pretty nice for Ford.

And things are only going to keep getting nicer. The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning, set to launch next spring, has already surpassed 120,000 reservations.  


Coming in Like a Lightning Bolt: The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning is a strike at the heart of Tesla and other EV competitors