Doug Field, the prominent executive responsible for shaping Ford’s electric vehicle (EV) and technology initiatives over the last five years, is departing from the automaker. Field’s exit was revealed on Wednesday as part of a larger restructuring of the company’s leadership.

Field joined Ford in 2021, equipped with an impressive background from Silicon Valley, which included leading Apple’s special projects team and working as senior vice president of engineering at Tesla. His recruitment was intended not just as a return to his professional beginnings. (Field started his career at Ford as a development engineer from 1987 to 1993.) The goal was to fulfill Ford CEO Jim Farley’s vision of transforming the traditional automaker into a frontrunner in software, EVs, and other innovative technologies.

Field reported directly to Farley and was initially in charge of the company’s embedded software and hardware operations, encompassing vehicle controls, enterprise connectivity, features, integration and validation, architecture and platform, driver assistance technology, and digital engineering tools. This role effectively made him accountable for the design, development, and implementation of the comprehensive tech stack utilized in Ford and Lincoln vehicles, which includes infotainment, navigation, driver-assist technology, connected services, and vehicle cybersecurity.

Field was a prominent presence at Ford, frequently commended by Farley during the company’s earnings calls. He played a pivotal role when the automaker segmented its operations into three divisions: the EV and digital services sector, the conventional internal combustion engine business, and the commercial vehicles division. Moreover, he was instrumental in Ford’s skunkworks initiative — a covert internal team — aimed at designing a low-cost electric vehicle.

Through the reorganization announced Wednesday, Ford has established what it refers to as a “product creation and industrialization” team that will be led by COO Kumar Galhotra. Ford’s electric vehicle and design division, which Field managed, will be integrated into this new entity.

This new structure comes with ambitious objectives, including an 8% adjusted profit margin for its Ford+ commercial operations by 2029. The team will also oversee Ford’s initiative to update 80% of its North American lineup by volume and 70% of its global portfolio by 2029. This will encompass the Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) platform, a mid-sized pickup, and the next-generation F-150 and F-Series Super Duty trucks.

The UEV platform is the product of the Ford skunkworks program — now designated as the Advanced Development Projects team. Alan Clarke, a former Tesla executive who has led that skunkworks program, is presently the vice president of Advanced Development Projects.