Brazilian Automotive Industry Leader Achieves SAE Fellow Status

Warrendale – Luc de Ferran, who retired in 2003 as vice president of Ford South America, is among the 2007-08 class of 27 engineers and scientists from industry and academia worldwide to be recognized by SAE International with Fellow grade status. De Ferran will receive an award commemorating his status during the SAE 2008 World Congress Awards Ceremony in Detroit, April 15.

SAE Fellowship is the highest grade of membership issued by SAE International. It recognizes outstanding engineering and scientific accomplishments by an individual that have resulted in meaningful advances in automotive, aerospace, and commercial vehicle technology. This honor, established in 1975, is bestowed upon an average of 20 worldwide recipients each year.

With more than 40 years of experience with the Ford Motor Company in product creation and manufacturing process development, de Ferran is widely recognized as one of the greatest technical leaders within the Brazilian and South America automotive industry. His leadership is demonstrated in the introduction of bio fuels-powered vehicles starting in the late 970s and the conception B size unitized SUV EcoSport, segment leader for 5 consecutive years.

In the manufacturing arena, de Ferran has been involved in lean, shared, and synchronized sequenced production concepts. His initiatives resulted in the consolidation of four manufacturing sites that included vehicle assembly and powertrain activities. His model includes the breakthrough body an assembly plant in the Northeast of Brazil, with Ford ownership of the production backbone, supplied directly by collocated full-service supply partners. The plant was inaugurated in 2002, and has been operating at its capacity of 250,000 vehicles per year in three shifts.

In recognition of his contributions to the economic and social improvement to the Bahia State, de Ferran received the Medal of Honor from the Bahia State Governor and was awarded the title of Bahia State Citizen by the House of Representatives of the Bahia State.

De Ferran is one of the founders of SAE Brasil and served as its President from 1995 to 1996 and Vice President from 1992 to 1995. He continues to support the organization as a member of the SAE Brasil Advisory Board.

De Ferran earned degrees in mechanical engineering and vibration and dynamics from the Politechnic School of the Sao Paulo University. | Email [email protected]