FordDirect Names Jeff Forrester as Director of Purchasing

New role at FordDirect as company continues to grow

News provided by

Oct 29, 2014, 10:00 ET

DEARBORN, Mich., Oct. 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- FordDirect, a joint venture between Ford Motor Company and its franchise dealers, today announced the appointment of Jeff Forrester as director of purchasing, a position within the newly created department at FordDirect.

In his role, Forrester will be primarily responsible for vendor management and contracts, working with internal teams to achieve cost reductions, quality maintenance, policy compliance and risk mitigation while driving business objectives. As head of the department, Forrester will report to Beth Hill, general counsel and chief compliance officer.

"As a practical, experienced executive who has successfully managed large, complex transactions, Jeff is well-positioned to lead and shape the new purchasing department," said Stacey Coopes, FordDirect CEO. "As FordDirect continues its growth, his expertise in purchasing and procurement will be instrumental to the company's success and long-term sustainability."

Forrester has deep automotive experience, having worked for both automotive suppliers and OEMs, including Ford Motor Company. Prior to joining FordDirect, he was a senior buyer at General Motors where he was responsible for the procurement of commodities, including technology and telecommunications.

In addition to his automotive experience, Forrester has extensive strategic and tactical experience in vendor risk management, contract negotiations, business process outsourcing, insourcing, RFPs/RFQs, SOW development, contract management and process reform.

Forrester holds a juris doctorate from the Detroit College of Law at Michigan State University and a bachelor's degree in computer science from Southern Illinois University.

About FordDirect

FordDirect (forddirect.com) is a joint venture between Ford Motor Company and its franchised dealers to create a comprehensive Web presence for dealers and provide digital marketing and advertising services that help dealers sell more cars and trucks. FordDirect provides dealers new and pre-owned digital marketing and advertising services, call tracking, lead management solutions, dealer websites, search optimization and marketing, database marketing, marketing services for regional dealer advertising groups and other digital services. FordDirect is headquartered in Dearborn, Mich.

SOURCE FordDirect