Ford appoints Annaliese Atina as managing director of Ford Vietnam

Photo: Ford Motor Company

The appointment was announced on September 24 and will be effective from December 1. Atina, currently managing director of Ford New Zealand, will relocate to Hanoi and report directly to Andrew Birkic, vice president of Sales and Service at Ford International Markets Group.

“Annaliese brings strong commercial leadership, and a real passion for creating better experiences for customers,” said Birkic, “Her energy and understanding of customers and dealers will be invaluable as Ford Vietnam builds on its momentum. I’m delighted to welcome her to the role.”

As an experienced senior executive with more than 20 years’ leadership experience across automotive, fast-moving consumer goods, telecommunications, and technology, Atina brings a strong combination of commercial leadership, strategic thinking, and stakeholder management, with a proven track record of leading businesses through growth and transformation.

Atina joined Ford New Zealand as managing director and executive director in 2024. During her tenure, she led initiatives to strengthen customer experience, dealer performance, and commercial growth, while developing new revenue opportunities and guiding the business through regulatory change and evolving customer expectations.

Prior to Ford, Atina held senior leadership roles with Vodafone New Zealand and Coca-Cola Amatil, leading large-scale customer, sales, and commercial businesses.

Alongside her executive career, Atina has held governance roles across technology and education and is the founder and head coach of the Ambition Collective, supporting the development of future leaders.

“I’m delighted to be joining Ford Vietnam at an important time for the business,” said Atina. “I look forward to working closely with our employees, dealers, and partners to build on the team’s achievements, strengthen the customer experience and ensure Ford continues to deliver products and services that meet the evolving needs of Vietnamese customers.”

Atina succeeds Ruchik Shah, who elected to leave the company to pursue new opportunities.

“Ruchik made an important contribution to Ford Vietnam, and we thank him for his leadership,” said Birkic. “Vietnam is an important market for Ford, and we are confident in the opportunities ahead. With Annaliese’s leadership and the strength of the local team, we will remain focused on serving our customers, supporting our dealers, and delivering sustainable growth in the market.”

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