DETROIT — Jon Huntsman, a Ford Motor Co. board member and former governor of Utah, has been named to a brand new place of vice chair, coverage, efficient Might 3, the corporate stated Wednesday.

Huntsman, 61, will advise CEO Jim Farley and Government Chairman Invoice Ford on “strategic coverage issues” and can work carefully with the Workplace of the Basic Counsel, Authorities Relations and Sustainability, Setting and Security Engineering groups. A former U.S. ambassador to a number of nations, he’ll “signify Ford with sure authorities officers and influencers” each within the U.S. and overseas, Ford stated.

“International coverage is vastly necessary to remodeling Ford and unlocking nice worth for purchasers and all stakeholders,” Farley said in a statement. “Jon’s background, insights and achievements are unmatched — as an envoy and commerce consultant, a state governor and a public-company govt.”

Huntsman was Utah’s governor twice, from 2005 to 2009. He was U.S. ambassador to China from 2009 to 2011 and ambassador to Singapore within the early Nineteen Nineties. He additionally spent two years as deputy U.S. commerce consultant in President George W. Bush’s administration, engaged on dozens of commerce and funding agreements in Asia Pacific and Africa, in response to Ford.

Huntsman was first elected to Ford’s board in 2012 and served till 2017, when he accepted an ambassadorship to Russia underneath President Donald Trump’s administration. He resigned as ambassador in 2019 to return to Utah to run for governor a 3rd time, however he was defeated within the state’s Republican major.

He rejoined Ford’s board in October 2020 is up for reelection by shareholders on Might 13. Along with his new position, Huntsman will step down from the board’s nominating and governance and compensation committees however will stay on its sustainability and innovation committees.

Ford said in a securities filing that Huntsman’s new position will earn him a $1 million base wage and an preliminary inventory grant valued at $3 million within the type of time-based restricted inventory models that may vest over three years.