Ford establishes subsidiary to build, invest in new mobility optionsMarch 11, 2016 - 18:41 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Ford Motor Co. said Friday, March 11, that it is establishing a Silicon Valley-based subsidiary to build and invest in new mobility options like car-sharing and ride-hailing services, the Associated Press reports. Ford Smart Mobility LLC will be chaired by former Steelcase CEO Jim Hackett, who has been a member of Ford's board since 2013. Hackett resigned his board seat Friday to lead the new company. Ford Smart Mobility plans to name a CEO in the near future. The company will operate in Palo Alto, California, and Ford's hometown of Dearborn, Michigan. Ford CEO Mark Fields said the company will be "separate but connected" to its parent. Fields said Ford won't initially include the company in its financial reporting, but may do so once it's more firmly established. "We wanted to make sure give it the freedom and the flexibility to move almost like tech companies do," the AP quoted Fields as saying. Ford Smart Mobility will build, design and invest in services like car-sharing or ride-hailing. Ford has already conducted more than 30 global experiments over the last 14 months, including GoDrive, a car sharing program with guaranteed parking in London, and Bridj, a van service in Kansas City that users can summon with a smartphone. The research and design of autonomous vehicles and vehicle connectivity will remain with the parent company, Fields said. Fields said Hackett, who spent 30 years at office furniture maker Steelcase, helped transform the industry, in part by predicting the end of traditional cubicles. "Jim is a fantastic strategic thinker and has a very good network in Silicon Valley," Fields said. Top stories Yerevan will host the 2024 edition of the World Congress On Information Technology (WCIT). Rustam Badasyan said due to the lack of such regulation, the state budget is deprived of VAT revenues. Krisp’s smart noise suppression tech silences ambient sounds and isolates your voice for calls. Gurgen Khachatryan claimed that the "illegalities have been taking place in 2020." Partner news Most popular in the section | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |