Ford Pro CEO Ted Cannis to retire after 35 years with company

The CEO of Ford Motor Co.'s profitable Ford Pro , a global commercial-vehicle services and distribution business within Ford, is choosing to retire at the end of the month after 35 years with the company, the Dearborn-based automaker said Thursday.

Ted Cannis has led Ford Pro since its formation in 2021. Cannis since last year also has led Ford's customer service division, which handles global parts, services, accessories and vehicle customization for Ford dealers and customers worldwide.

"Ted’s energy and passion for customers has been instrumental in building Ford Pro into a business that’s tracking towards $70 billion in revenue this year — a Fortune 100-size company in its own right," Jim Farley, Ford president and CEO, said in a news release announcing Cannis' retirement.

Ford Pro has become what Ford and analysts consider the automaker's single most powerful weapon in its arsenal. It made the company $2.6 billion in the second quarter of this year.

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Andrew Frick, president of Ford Blue (Ford's internal combustion engine business), will add leadership of Ford Pro on an interim basis until the company announces a new leader.

Cannis began his career in 1989 in finance and went on to serve in leadership positions in Venezuela, Argentina, Turkey and Russia. From 2017 to 2020, he served as global director of electric vehicles, leading the team that developed the Mustang Mach-E. He was also involved in the development of the F-150 Lightning and E-Transit.

Ford also announced that Daniel Justo, the chief financial officer of Ford Blue, has been appointed vice president of Ford's customer service division and a company officer, effective Oct. 1. Justo will report to Frick.

Contact Adrienne Roberts: amroberts@freepress.com

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ford Pro CEO Ted Cannis to retire after 35 years with company