LISA BRANKIN

Ford's UK MD is a confirmed enthusiast with a career-long passion for the brand. Felix Page finds out what the future holds

- Felix Page

The term 'Ford enthusiast' does not conjure up images of well-used, high-mileage Transits as organically as it does pristine Escort Cosworths and Fiesta STs. But the demonstrable passion owners of each have for the brand will be critical to its ongoing success - and growth - according to the company's UK MD, Lisa Brankin.

"We've got massive amounts of enthusiasts out there that drive STS and Capris," she says. "We think about enthusiasts in that passenger vehicle sector, but actually, anybody who's got a Transit has a lot of affection for the product and the brand as well."

Brankin heads the UK arm of a company in the middle of reinventing its passenger car lineup while strengthening its winning commercial vehicle offering with a highly advanced fleet telematics operation, slick integrated repair and maintenance functions and a streamlined retail model, all in the name of maximising 'uptime' for the Ford commercial vehicle owners who are, historically, the 'backbone of Britain'.

Brankin is well placed to lead this charge, having led the implementation of a network of Transit Specialist dealerships in her previous role as director of dealer operations. She says that feels like "ancient history" but adds: "There hasn't been anything that I've done that I've not learned from."