Lisa Drake is vice president, Global Powertrain Purchasing and Global Purchasing Operations, effective Jan. 1, 2018.
In this role, Drake is responsible for all powertrain purchasing operations worldwide and global operational purchasing performance. She reports to Hau Thai-Tang, executive vice president, Product Development and Purchasing.
She joined purchasing in 2013 as director, Global Program Purchasing, and most recently served as director, Global Interior Purchasing, a position she held since August 2016.
Before purchasing, Drake held various positions in Product Development for nearly 20 years. In 2004, she led the F-150 product and launch team during the construction of the state-of-the-art Dearborn Truck Plant at the Ford Rouge Center. Her other notable positions include chief engineer, Lincoln MKC; assistant chief engineer, F-Series Super Duty; and program manager roles for Explorer and Expedition.
Drake also served as the Global Hybrid / Battery Electric Vehicle chief engineer from May 2007 to September 2010. In this position, she led the development and delivery of Fusion Hybrid, Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, and the C-Max Hybrid and Energi programs.
In addition to her work with hybrid and plug-in hybrids, Drake led the development of the Focus Electric and the Transit Connect Electric. In 2008, the Automotive Hall of Fame awarded her the Young Leadership and Excellence Award, in recognition of her contributions and leadership in the growing field of electrification.
Drake joined Ford in 1994 as a Ford College Graduate in powertrain engineering. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.