Ford hires former Apple executive Peter Stern to head software services group

Ford today named Apple veteran Peter Stern to lead the newly formed Ford Integrated Services, which will create and market valuable software-enabled customer experiences across Ford Blue, Model e and Ford Pro. 

Stern served as vice president of Services at Apple for more than six years through January 2023 and was a driving force behind the launch of Apple’s portfolio of services, including Apple TV+, Apple News+, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, MLS Season Pass and Apple One.

Stern starts at Ford today and reports to President and CEO Jim Farley. He will build a team to build out the business tied to Ford’s BlueCruise hands-free highway driving system and productivity and safety/security services, including those from the Ford Pro Intelligence business, work on new high-value services and lead services marketing, certain out-of-vehicle customer experiences and Ford Next. 

“This is transformational, because the cornerstone of our Ford+ plan is creating incredible customer services and experiences enabled by great hardware and software,” Farley said. “There’s simply no one in the world better able than Peter Stern to build this strategically vital part of our business.”

Ford is developing leadership at the forefront of connected, digital platforms that will revolutionize every aspect of how vehicles function, the way people interact with them, and the value those vehicles provide. The company has more than 550,000 paid software and services subscribers, with Ford Pro commercial customers today accounting for more than 80% of them.

Stern said he was motivated to join Ford to help transform the company with valuable and affordable services for millions of customers.

“I love creating new services businesses and this is the perfect chance to do just that,” Stern said. “The auto industry is undergoing an unprecedented transformation, from gas engines to electric vehicles and from human to autonomous driving.

“At the same time, the basis for differentiation is shifting from the vehicles alone to the integration of hardware, software and services. I’ll be in the middle of something truly historic and am particularly fortunate to do that at Ford, which has been democratizing automotive technology for 120 years and counting.

“You couple that with the Ford family’s involvement in the business and commitment to doing the right thing in the long term and this is really where I belong.”

Stern brings unique experience and accomplishments to Ford. In addition to running Apple TV+ and Sports, iCloud, Apple News, Apple Books, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+ and Apple One, he headed marketing for all Apple services, including the App Store, Apple Card, Apple Pay, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts and Apple Maps. Stern also oversaw Apple’s ad businesses during a period of rapid growth.

Before joining Apple in 2016, Stern was Time Warner Cable’s EVP and chief product, people and strategy officer. He began his career at McKinsey & Co.

Stern earned a juris doctor degree from Yale Law School. He has a bachelor’s degree in music and English from Harvard University.