KATE PEARCE: LINCOLN MKT MARKETING ROLE A NATURAL FOR CLASSIC CAR BUFF, MOTORSPORTS FAN

• Kate Pearce is marketing manager for the Lincoln MKT
• Working in the auto industry is a natural fit for Pearce, who is a serious motorsports fan and classic car buff

Catherine Pearce – Kate, to family, friends and colleagues – was an easy selection for Ford Motor Company recruiters visiting the Miami University campus in Oxford, Ohio some 16 years ago.  Pearce, then graduating with a business administration degree, was – and remains – a serious motorsports fan, auto enthusiast and classic car buff.

“Spending 10 years in the field, working directly with dealers and customers, gave me a real sense of sales and marketing operations,” said Pearce.  “I then moved to Dearborn, working on dealer Web sites before serving as Fusion launch manager.”

Bringing a distinctive product like Lincoln MKT to market has been a thrill for Pearce.

“Working closely with our design and product development teams, I’m helping to introduce the Lincoln MKT,” she said.  “This vehicle evolved from auto show concept to production reality, while keeping true to the original promise.  The availability of EcoBoost™ power makes a great story even better.”

The auto industry was a natural fit for Pearce, as her passions for all things automotive – and avid interest in open-wheel motorsports – allow her to see issues and opportunities from multiple perspectives.

“My volunteer involvement in motorsports has scaled back some, but we still love going to the races,” said Pearce with a smile.  “And we have a 1959 Lincoln Premiere Coupe.  One of the longest production cars ever made, it’s one of fewer than 2,000 built that year.  Like the Lincoln MKT, it makes a real design statement – and turns heads wherever we go.”

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About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents.  With about 200,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo.  The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company.  For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.

Jan. 13, 2009