FORD Middle East and Africa Thursday announced the appointment of Met Arias, to the position of vice president Marketing, Sales and Services, based in Dubai. Arias, who takes up his new role effective April 1, 2017, joins from Ford's Shanghai, China office where he is currently serving as Asia Pacific Marketing and Sales Director of Ford Customer Service Division. Prior to his position in Shanghai, Arias spent three years at Ford in Vietnam as managing director, where he led its successful business transformation through the introduction of many global Ford products and elevated customer experiences in the process. Arias was instrumental in Ford's turnaround to become one of the top-three best-selling automotive brands in the market. "We're excited to welcome Met to the Ford Middle East and Africa team. Met's wealth of experience in emerging market operations will be invaluable in driving growth and expansion, and transforming customers' experiences in the region," said Jacques Brent, president, Ford Middle East and Africa. Since 2004, Arias has been serving in many key leadership roles in Ford's customer service operations in ASEAN, Thailand, India and the Company's Asia Pacific and Africa region. This includes director, Customer Service Division for Ford ASEAN and Japan with overall responsibility for its after-sales and service operations. During this time, Arias led a strategic effort to further enhance Ford's overall customer experience and customer care. Arias, 48, initially joined Ford Philippines as dealer operations manager in 1998 having attained a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from De La Salle University in Manila. He will oversee all marketing, sales, service and dealer relations in the region, focusing on creating a stronger retail and ownership experience for customers and growing the Ford and Lincoln brand in the Middle East and Africa. Arias will be relocating to Dubai with his wife, Bing, this Spring. Ford Motor Company is a global automotive and mobility company based in Dearborn, Michigan. With about 201,000 employees and 62 plants worldwide, the company's core business includes designing, manufacturing, marketing and servicing a full line of Ford cars, trucks and SUVs, as well as Lincoln luxury vehicles. To expand its business model, Ford is aggressively pursuing emerging opportunities with investments in electrification, autonomy and mobility. Ford provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company.
