Ford Motor Company has announced the appointment of PK Umashankar (‘Uma’) as managing director for Ford Philippines, effective July 1. Umashankar is currently serving as a director in the Customer Service Division of Ford ASEAN and based in Bangkok.
Umashankar will relocate to Manila and will continue to report directly to Yukontorn ‘Vickie’ Wisadkosin, president, Ford ASEAN. He will replace Bert Lessard, who will repatriate to his home country of Canada.
In his new role, Umashankar will be responsible for continuing to drive Ford’s momentum in the Philippines, including sustaining the success of Ford’s nearly fully refreshed vehicle lineup in the market, continuing the ongoing expansion of the Ford dealership network, and further enhancing the aftersales experience including driving a more competitive cost of ownership structure for Ford customers.
Newly appointed Managing Director of Ford Philippines PK Umashankar | Photo from Ford Press
“Uma’s leadership and real hands-on approach, coupled with his extensive experience across the business, will help us continue to grow our business and further strengthen our brand in the Philippines,” said Wisadkosin.
In his current regional customer service role, Umashankar has been working with both the Ford dealer networks and Ford customer service teams across the ASEAN markets to implement a number of successful initiatives aimed at improving and enhancing the overall Ford customer experience. This includes leading efforts to streamline parts sourcing and delivery across the Ford network, the appointments and launch of the Ford Authorized Parts Distributor Network in Thailand, as well as the launch of the Ford-owned Quick Lane brand in Thailand.
From 2015-2017, Umashankar served as the brand manager for Ford Asia Pacific where he was based in Shanghai and he oversaw the region-wide launch of the new EcoSport compact SUV, as well as the new Ford Figo compact car in India and the Middle East and Africa.
Prior to his regional postings, Umashankar served for nearly 19 years at Ford India in roles of increasing responsibility, including leadership positions across Customer Service, Marketing, and Operations.
Umashankar earned a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Madras, and an MBA in Finance from the Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA).