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Cambridge Area Committee

Annual Prestige Lecture 1996

Customer Driven Personal Transport Solutions
Richard Parry-Jones

Thursday 1st February, 1996 at 6.00 pm
Wolfson Theatre, Churchill College, Cambridge

Biography

Richard Parry-Jones is Vice President, Small/Medium Vehicle Center, Ford Automotive Operations, a position he has held since May 1994. In this capacity Mr Parry-Jones leads Ford Motor Company's largest vehicle centre, which has annual revenues equivalent of 26 billion dollars, and is currently responsible for more than a third of Ford vehicles produced world-wide.

A car enthusiast since childhood, Mr Parry-Jones joined Ford as a graduate trainee in 1969 and went on to graduate with First Class Honours in mechanical engineering from the University of Salford. He joined Ford's Product Development Group, and played a leading role in the development of the 1981 Escort and, later, the introduction of the Sierra in 1983. He was appointed Executive Engineer of Ford's Technological Research in 1985, and assumed responsibility for Vehicle Concepts a year later.

Mr Parry-Jones' international experience includes an assignment as director of Vehicle Concepts Engineering in the USA in 1988, before taking charge of Manufacturing Operations at Ford's Cologne, Germany, assembly plant in 1990. His expertise in honing vehicle dynamics was key to the development of the highly successful Ford Mondeo. Serving as chief engineer for Vehicle Development and Testing since 1991, Mr Parry-Jones was honoured with Autocar magazine's "Man of the Year" award for helping to "change the culture of one of the world's biggest corporations" and leading the Mondeo development to "unmatched refinement and dynamics".

IEE Home This page was prepared by David Holburn, and comes to you courtesy of Cambridge University Engineering Department. Last updated on 5th January 1995.

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