Dr. Graham Hoare is Ford Motor Company’s Director of Global Vehicle Evaluation and Verification. He is responsible for Ford’s Test and Development Operations worldwide, delivering vehicle prototyping, validation and signoff for Ford’s Global Product Portfolio. His teams are based in all regions of the world, with main activities in Europe and North America. In addition to these responsibilities Graham has leadership for the Dunton Technical Centre in Essex, UK, the largest automotive R&D facility in the UK. He is also the Engineering Member of the Board of Ford of Britain. Since May 2015 he has lead the UK Automotive Council Technology Group.
In his prior role, Graham held the position of Executive Director for Powertrain Engineering, Ford of Europe. He was in this role for 6 years and led the integration of the core Powertrain disciplines of diesel and petrol engines, transmissions and powertrain application engineering to provide a cohesive powertrain engineering capability for Ford in Europe. Products delivered in this timeframe included the Company’s highly acclaimed International Engine of the Year Ecoboost 1.0 litre engine.
Previously, Graham was the Director of Powertrain Research & Advanced Engineering for Ford Motor Company, based in Dearborn, Michigan. USA, for 4 years. His responsibilities included the Research, Advanced Development and Technology Planning associated with Gasoline, Diesel Engines, Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engines, Transmission & Driveline Systems, Controls, Calibration and NVH for Ford vehicles and affiliate branded products globally. His teams were based in North America, Germany and the United Kingdom.
Prior to his US assignment, he was responsible for Powertrain Engineering in Land Rover, England, at that point a subsidiary of Ford Motor Company. In this role he led the Powertrain activities for the new family of Land Rover products, LR3 & Range Rover Sport.
Prior to his Land Rover appointment, Graham was Chief Engineer for BMW Group, Transmission & Driveline Engineering, based in Munich, Germany. In this role he was responsible for leading the development of transmission systems for BMW, Range Rover, Mini & Rolls Royce branded vehicles. His background in Powertrain Engineering spans 25 years, with primary qualifications in Mechanical Engineering and a master’s degree in Engineering Business Management from the University of Warwick, and an Engineering Doctorate from University of Bath. His early professional years included Gasoline/ Petrol Engine, Transmission & Driveline design & development, coupled with experience in Engine Manufacturing. He is a fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers & a fellow of the Institute of Engineering Designers.
Experience gained from life in three countries, and the associated business cultures has assisted Graham in comprehending the value of world class engineering and the importance of accelerating deployment of innovation, particularly in the race for ever more CO2 friendly technologies.
Graham is 52 years old with one child.