Mr. Ruchik Shah, Managing Director of Ford Vietnam: Ford Vietnam – 30 years of making a mark in Vietnam

“Over the last three decades, Ford has remained steadfast in its customer-centric philosophy, delivering high-quality products and services that meet international standards. The 30-year milestone is a testament to Ford’s enduring journey in Vietnam, and a clear launchpad for Ford's future growth”, said Ruchik Shah, Managing Director of Ford Vietnam, at Ford Vietnam’s 30th-anniversary ceremony. On this occasion, Saigon New Day had an interview with Mr. Ruchik Shah about Ford's upcoming development direction in the Vietnamese market.

Ford Vietnam has just celebrated 30 years of operation in the Vietnamese market, could you share some outstanding figures that Ford has achieved?

Since 1995, as the first American automaker to invest in Vietnam, Ford has remained a living testament to its deep commitment to this promising market.

Ford Vietnam has invested over 200 million USD across three decades (including an 82 million expansion of its Hai Duong assembly plant in 2022 that nearly tripled capacity to 40,000 vehicles annually). This investment affirms Ford as the sole and largest US foreign direct investor (FDI) in the industry, contributing to strengthening the close economic partnership between Vietnam and the United States in the automotive sector.

The plant now employs 1,200 workers, 90% of whom are local and 20% are women. With 56 dealerships, Ford has created nearly 7,000 direct and indirect jobs, significantly boosting Vietnam's automotive industry.

Among many famous car brands from other countries currently present in Vietnam, Ford still affirms its own position. In your opinion, what factors contribute to this?

This is due to mutiple factors, especially the product development strategy. Ford always develops products based on market need and mobility trends, from the early icons like theLaser and EcoSport, to current core products such as the Ranger, Everest, Transit and Territory.

Today, three of Ford’s four main products line leads their segments. The Ranger dominates the pick-up segment, the Transit leads the commercial vehicles, and the Everest is a top mid-size SUV. The Territory has quickly taken its place as the second best-selling C-segment urban SUV following its launch.

Vietnam is the first market to launch the 4-hour mobile service, now available in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Ford also continues to invest in digital infrastructure and mobility solutions, including the FordPass app, allowing customers to manage their ownership experience efficiently.

Besides high-quality products, we are just as committed to provide our customers have an ownership experience that meets global standards and beyond. Ford has cultivated a strong user community through engagement activities. This fosters a unique Ford spirit, where the brand-customer relationship goes beyond the vehicle itself, becoming a lasting bond.

To bring practical value to customers, Ford not only invested in products and services but also makes significant investments in human resources. Could you please share more about this?

Ford's philosophy is to invest persistently in people to enhance services, thereby building trust and long-term partnership with customers.

Ford's training program is divided into four levels from level 0 to level 3, in which level 3 is the highest level in the technician competency assessment system of the Master Technician Training program, reflecting superior professional competence.

All official Ford dealerships have level 3 technicians. Currently, 80% of the technician workforce has achieved skill certification according to global standards from level 1 to level 3, an increase of 10% compared to 2024. This rate will continue to increase in the coming years. 2025 also marks the strong development of Ford’s dealership network with nearly 900 technicians, nearly 1,500 sales consultants and 320 service consultants throughout the entire system.

We also regularly organize training programs and national skill contests to enhance and validate knowledge and skills. More importantly, this reflects the spirit of continuous learning, teamwork and the aspiration to achieve excellence of our employees - the values ​​that have shaped Ford Vietnam and the entire dealership system.

Along with training activities, Ford Vietnam has also implemented many service initiatives to bring practical benefits to customers, namely home delivery services, Mobile Service and FordPass™ app.

On average each month, over 10,000 customers choose the two services of delivery and Mobile Service, accounting for 24% of total service customers. These initiatives help Ford continuously improve the quality of customer care, from reducing waiting times and ensuring repairs that follow proper procedures, to maintaining consistent service quality throughout the system.

From this 30-year milestone, could you please share the plans for Ford's new journey in Vietnam?

We will continue to innovate, enhance customer experiences, and contribute actively to the socio-economic development of Vietnam. Passion will always be the driving force behind all our efforts, from developing breakthrough products and services to meaningful activities for the community.

Today, we are proud to launch two captivating new models to Vietnamese customers, including the all-electric Mustang Mach-E. This is not only a new product introduction, but also an affirmation of our belief in a vibrant and exciting future for Ford in Vietnam, boosting innovation and sustainable mobility.

The Mustang Mach-E represents Ford's vision of smart, electrified mobility in Vietnam. It comes equipped with advanced technologies, including a comprehensive driver assistance system, intelligent range management and superior connectivity features. It can be said that the Mustang Mach-E marks the beginning of Ford's electrification journey in Vietnam, demonstrating our commitment to innovating and developing in the market and enhancing user experience.

On community contributions: Vietnam becomes the first market outside North America to launch its “Building Together” initiative. The program brings together Ford Philanthropy, Ford and its expansive dealership network in a unified effort to support communities. The initiative also encourages Ford owners clubs, non-profit organizations and volunteers to join forces to make practical contributions and make positive impact on society.

This initiative affirms Ford's position as a dedicated brand that is committed to long-term partnership with the community and oriented towards sustainable values. In addition, we will partner with AIP Foundation, a community organization active in Vietnam since 1999, to deliver programs aimed at safety training and supporting the community to strengthen its ability to prepare and respond to natural disasters.

We will also fund scholarships through the Ford Auto Tech Program, which provides training for the next generation of auto technicians. This also includes the launch of Ford Volunteer Hub, a platform that Ford Vietnam employees can find and sign up for volunteer opporturnities, spreading the spirit of sharing.

Over the last three decades, Ford has remained steadfast in its customer-centric philosophy, delivering high-quality products and services that meet international standards. The 30-year milestone is a testament to Ford’s enduring journey in Vietnam, and a clear launchpad for Ford's future growth.

Thanks for your sharing.

According to Saigon New Day

Keywords : Ruchik Shah, Tổng Giám đốc Ford Việt Nam, Ford Việt Nam, kiến tạo dấu ấn, Việt Nam