Wu becomes Ford China president, CEO

By Phil Carter

Sam Wu, managing director and chief operating officer of Ford China since Oct. 1, 2022, succeeded Anning Chen as president and CEO of the business on March 1. Wu, a top operating leader in Asia for several major global companies across a broad range of industries, is a 1993 graduate of UNL with a master’s degree in mechanical engineering.

Wu previously managed engineering, manufacturing, quality and purchasing and was responsible for Ford's China commercial vehicle division. As president and CEO, he is based in Shanghai and report to Ford President and CEO Jim Farley.

“Sam is a terrific leader with extensive multi-industry experience that’s invaluable as we move with speed to continue the remaking of Ford China,” Farley said in a statement. “Strategically, China is the center of the EV revolution, so understanding and being relevant in the segments we’re prioritizing there – especially innovative, connected EVs for commercial and luxury customers – is essential to extending Ford’s global EV leadership.”

Most recently, Wu was president, Asia Pacific, and a member of the global executive committee for appliance maker Whirlpool Corp. Earlier, he was president and CEO of Osram's Asia-Pacific business and, before that, vice president and regional general manager for Honeywell Process Solutions in Greater China. Wu's career also includes a tenure with General Electric.

In addition to a master’s degree from the College of Engineering, Wu holds a bachelor's degree in thermal energy engineering from Tsinghua University in Beijing and a master's degree in information management from the Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University.