"One of the biggest things of a team leader is that your team is inspired throughout the journey. One of the things about new technology and innovation is that it is a marathon; it's not a speed race. So what you have to do though is recognize milestones along the way and celebrate each one of those. So before people become tired, just make sure they know, 'Hey great job; now we got to go further, but that was a great contribution.' Those are the little things that I learned from some great leaders that really help me keep my team going on the marathon." -- Nancy Lee Gioia
Motivating Your Team
Nancy Lee Gioia is Ford Motor Company’s director of Global Electrification. Appointed to this position Oct. 9, 2009, Gioia directs strategy and planning for the next generation of Ford’s global electric vehicle portfolio, touching all aspects of electrified transportation, including product planning, supplier partnerships and collaboration with the energy industry and government.
Prior to taking her current role, Gioia was Ford’s director of Sustainable Mobility Technology and Hybrid Vehicle Programs for North America, overseeing research, development and ultimately deployment of other sustainable mobility technologies such as hydrogen internal combustion engines and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
Earlier in her career with Ford, Gioia was director of Current Model Vehicle Quality for North America where she was responsible for overall current model quality performance. Gioia has held several key management and executive positions within Ford Product Development, including valuable experience in electronics architecture design and integration in vehicles. She also was chief engineer for the Ford Aeromax class-8 truck line and the 2002 Ford Thunderbird program. She went on to direct engineering for all Ford, Lincoln and Mercury passenger cars in North America before taking on her current assignment.
Gioia joined Ford Motor Company in 1982 as a graduate trainee in the Electronics division. From 1983 to 1986, she held various positions in the division’s Powertrain Business unit. In June 1986, she became manufacturing and quality engineer at the Engine Control Electronics facility in Lansdale, Pa. Her manufacturing experience continued in management positions in the organization, including the launch of Ford’s new facility in Cadiz, Spain in 1989.
In June 1991, Gioia was named alliance manager for the Electronics division, responsible for the management, development and growth of more than 18 strategic alliances. In February 1993, she became Manufacturing and Materials Planning and Logistics manager, and, later that year, manager of assembly operations in the Climate Control division at Ford’s Plymouth, Mich. plant.
Beginning in August 1994, Gioia took on a number of key assignments as engineering chief for several vehicle nameplates and platforms. She was named chief engineer – Commercial Truck, Automotive Components division and in February 1996 was appointed chief program engineer for the Louisville/Aeromax truck line. She then served as chief program engineer for the all-new 2002 Ford Thunderbird, delivering the vehicle from concept to production.
Gioia combines her hands-on and management experience in electronics architectures, manufacturing, vehicle engineering, vehicle program management, quality engineering systems and executive direction to the Sustainable Mobility Technology and Hybrid Vehicle Programs group. This position includes direction of scientists working in Ford’s Research and Innovations Center developing tomorrow’s propulsion solutions and direction of a product engineering group applying and integrating new technologies into products for consumers today and in the future.
Gioia received her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan and her master of sciences in manufacturing systems engineering from Stanford University. While studying with the assistance of a Ford Advanced Education Fellowship, she received the Outstanding Service Award from the Stanford Institute for Manufacturing and Automation. In July 2001, she received the All Star Award fromAutomotive News and in 2005 she was named one of Automotive News’ “100 Leading Women in the Auto Industry.” She remains an active member of the Stanford University Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing (former chair) and is a board member of Auto Alliance International.
