New Ford Vietnam’s managing director appointed

June 26, 2013 | 16:14

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Ford Motor Company has announced the appointment of Jesus Metelo ‘Met’ Arias as managing director of Ford Vietnam, effective July 1.

He will continue to report directly to Matt Bradley, president of Ford ASEAN.

Arias, who is currently serving as director, Customer Service Division, Ford ASEAN, based in Bangkok, Thailand, will replace Laurent Charpentier, who has been appointed operations director, Ford of France.

In his new role, Arias will be responsible for leading the successful and ongoing product-led transformation of Ford’s business in Vietnam. This is being driven by the continued introduction of class-leading One Ford vehicles, as well as the expansion of the company’s dealer network and customer service experience.

“We’re proud to have Met take on this new leadership role and are confident in his ability to lead a strong focus on serving our customers in Vietnam, while continuing to drive the success of our business in Vietnam," said Bradley.

Arias joined Ford Philippines in 1998 as dealer operations manager. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from De La Salle University.

Charpentier has served as managing director of Ford Vietnam since 2011, during which time he has successfully led Ford's continued expansion in the market. This has been driven by the company’s on-going product-led transformation – including the launch of the all-new Ford Fiesta, all-new Ford Ranger and all-new Ford Focus – as well as the on-going expansion of Ford’s nationwide dealer network.

He has also been active in Vietnam’s auto industry and business community, serving as chairman of the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association (VAMA), and governor of the American Chamber of Commerce of Vietnam.

By By Hoang Anh

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