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Ford Names Merling to Head Autonomous Vehicle Solutions
Laura Merling has been named to the newly created position of vice president of autonomous vehicle solutions with Ford Motor Co.’s Ford Smart Mobility LLC unit.
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Laura Merling has been named to the newly created position of vice president of autonomous vehicle solutions with Ford Motor Co.’s Ford Smart Mobility LLC unit.
One of her primary roles will be to lead Ford’s plan to commercialize high-volume autonomous vehicles with SAE level 4 capabilities by 2021. Level 4 vehicles can operate automatically under almost all conditions.
Merling's previous assignments included head of Internet of Things activities at SAP and vice president of enterprise digital transformation at AT&T. Most recently she ran a consulting firm focused on integrating connected technologies. She began her career in 1989 as a technology analyst for Ford.
Merling will be based in Palo Alto, Calif., and report to Jim Hackett, chairman of Ford Smart Mobility. She will continue as an advisor for several startups that are working on machine learning, digital manufacturing and the Internet of Things connectivity.
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