Ford’s UK chief engineer hands role to twenty-one-year-old for the day to promote skills

Posted on 26 Jun 2024 by The Manufacturer

In a move to spotlight the future of automotive engineering, Ford UK’s new chief engineer, Andrew Brumley, handed his leadership role to twenty-one-year-old Imperial College student, Tatiana.

Andrew Brumley, chief engineer for vehicle hardware engineering, now leads the integration of physical and digital attributes in future Transit and Tourneo vehicles. This position heads up Ford’s Dunton campus in Essex, where 3,200 engineers work on product development to electrify and add new software to vehicles. Brumley acknowledged the necessity for new skills and engineering specialisms driven by the shift towards electrification and the integration of new software and services in vehicles.

To provide a fresh perspective on the evolving field of intelligent EVs, Brumley temporarily passed his responsibilities to Tatiana for a day, in partnership with Plan International’s Girls Take Over. This initiative is part of Ford’s broader strategy to boost the uptake of STEM subjects among the next-generation workforce through its four major education outreach partnerships.

Reflecting on her experience at Ford, Tatiana stated, “Girls tend to avoid going into STEM, not because they don’t have the skills to do so, but because they don’t see other women doing it and they think it’s not their place.” She further emphasized, “I think it’s important to be vocal about the fact that anyone can do it and with hard work and dedication, anyone can go into STEM roles.”

Andrew Brumley, who has been with Ford since 1992 and previously served as director of powertrain and vehicle architecture engineering in China, commented on the evolving landscape of automotive engineering. “Today, mechanical engineering graduates like me remain a part of Ford product development recruits but are now among programmers and software specialists, data engineers, and other skills required for future innovative Transits. Tatiana brought a glimpse of how my role is emerging, with the valuable insights fresh eyes always bring.”


Ford’s UK chief engineer hands role to twenty-one-year-old for the day to promote skills
Tatiana with Apprentices at FordUK

This initiative is part of Ford’s ongoing commitment to addressing gender disparities in STEM fields. Research by Plan International shows that almost half (49%) of young women aged 18 to 24 do not see senior leadership roles in STEM as attainable, and 39% feel they would not be taken seriously in this sector.

In addition to the ‘Girls Takeover’ initiative, Ford’s partnership with Greenpower, Code First Girls, Primary Engineer, International Women in Engineering Day, and alongside nine other STEM outreach programs is instrumental in nurturing new talent. These efforts are aimed at equipping the future workforce with skills in programming, software development, and data engineering, which are critical for developing intelligent electric vehicles.

Tatiana’s takeover coincided with the East Anglia 2024 Greenpower’s Dunton Heat held at Ford Dunton, where school teams competed in electric car races, vying for a spot in the international finals at Goodwood. Ford has partnered with Greenpower for nearly 20 years to promote engineering through hands-on experience.

Last year, Ford UK’s managing director and human-centred design director roles were temporarily filled by 19- and 18-year-olds, whose insights influenced the Ford Transit Nugget campervan’s social campaign and Ford’s presentation at the Global Innovation Forum in London.

This year, Tatiana took the chair to explore Ford Pro ecosystem, touring the Ford Liive Centre with Owen Gregory, director of Ford Pro systems, and discussed the brake system in commercial vehicles with the product development team. Tatiana said, “The level of attention to the customer’s needs at Ford is second to none. I was very impressed by the company’s quest to achieve complete autonomy in vehicle feedback, wherein Ford Pro would be notified of any minor issue and schedule repairs with no inconvenience to the consumer. The dedication to this goal was visible in each engineer and staff member, reinforcing the community feel of Ford”.

Rose Caldwell, CEO at Plan International UK, said: “Tatiana’s takeover of Andrew’s high-level role in the engineering and automotive industry is an inspiring celebration of the incredible potential of girls. It’s fantastic to see Ford meaningfully engaging with young women and giving them space to have their voices heard. Male-dominated industries must continue to actively encourage girls and young women to pursue career paths in their sector.”

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