Ford Adopts Gender-Neutral Language, Names New Chief Policy Officer
Photo: Ford
Ford Motor Company took a step toward better inclusivity in July, amending company bylaws to adopt gender-neutral language. Ford’s board of directors voted to adopt the change in language on July 8 and notified the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission of the changes on July 9.
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Most notable among the changes is the switch from the term chairman to chair. As such, Bill Ford will now be known as Ford’s executive chair. Ford will also replace gender-specific pronouns his and her with the term director.
Ford spokesperson Marisa Bradley told Detroit Free Press that the automaker adopted the changes to “help limit ambiguity and drive the inclusive and equitable culture we’re striving for.”
Other major companies have made similar strides, including General Motors. GM also intends to replace the title of chairman with chair. That role is currently held by GM CEO Mary Barra. The U.S. House of Representatives also updated its Code of Official Conduct for the House in January to remove gender-specific language.
Steven Croley named new chief policy officer
The day prior to adopting gender-neutral language, Ford named Steven Croley its new chief policy officer and general counsel. Croley officially began his new role at Ford on July 12.
Croley previously served under the Obama administration as a special assistant to the president on regulatory policy and as deputy council. He also served as general counsel for the U.S. Department of Energy from 2014-17.
Chief government relations officer Mitch Bainwol, and vice president of Sustainability, Environment, and Safety Engineering Bob Hollycross will both report to Croley. Also reporting to Croley is Rebecca Pagani, who recently left Amazon and will now serve as Ford’s chief privacy officer.
Croley replaces John Mellen, who will officially retire on Sept. 1. Mellen had planned to retire last year but postponed it so that Ford could fill the vacancy. Ford CEO Jim Farley thanked Mellen for 40 years of safeguarding the company with “his sharp legal expertise, sound judgment, and principled approach.”
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Kyle S. Johnson lives in Cincinnati, a city known by many as “the Cincinnati of Southwest Ohio.” He enjoys professional wrestling, Halloween, and also other things. He has been writing for a while, and he plans to continue to write well into the future. See more articles by Kyle.