Ray Day | Influence 100
Ray-Day

Ray Day 

Group Vice President, Communications
Ford Motor Company
@rday1

Ray Day has helped to revolutionize Ford’s market positioning—from automaker to technology leader—and its corporate reputation, focusing on environmental leadership alongside product performance. As a result, Ford is gaining market share for the first time in more than a decade. And its communications is now being benchmarked as best practice by several Fortune 500 companies. Reporting to Mark Fields, Ford’s chief executive officer, Day leads the company’s global external and internal communications and public relations activities to audiences including customers, employees, dealers, suppliers, news media, communities, governments and policy makers. He was appointed to his position in 2007, after serving as executive director of global corporate communications and executive director of global automotive communications and spending more than two decades with the company, including four years in Europe. Early in his Ford career, Day led the company’s print and television employee communications network, helping it become an internal communications benchmark throughout the industry. He was a newspaper reporter and editor in the Detroit area before joining Ford.

Please share a notable career highlight. 
Being given the opportunity to lead communications at Ford and, working together with our world-class team, building reputation and improving brand favorability.

What is the most rewarding/challenging aspect about a career in communications/marketing?
Always learning, meeting new people and always changing.

What skills/experience will the CCO of the future need that may not be required today?
Deeper analytical and mobile communications skills.

Who or what inspires you to be your best? 
My wife, Debbie.

Most interesting place you've traveled to?
The world's natural wonders -- they always are awesome and never become "old."