DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford Motor Company has appointed veteran auto industry executive and retailer Ken Czubay as vice president of U.S. sales and marketing.

Czubay, who has 38 years of automotive experience and served in a variety of management and executive roles at Ford from 1970 to 1983, rejoins the company from his current positions as president of Southeast Toyota Distributors LLC, executive vice president of parent company JM Family Enterprises Inc., and president of JM Lexus, the world’s largest volume Lexus dealership.

Czubay, 59, joins Ford effective July 16 and will oversee the day-to-day sales and marketing of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles in the U.S. He will report to Jim Farley, Ford group vice president of marketing and communications.

"Having worked closely with Ken over the years, I can tell you that he’s truly one of the top sales executives in the auto industry with a long track record of success," Farley said. "Ken knows Ford, he knows the auto industry, and has a deep understanding of dealers and all facets of the retailing side of the business. We are fortunate to be bringing in someone with Ken's unique experience and talent to run U.S. Sales and Marketing."

Czubay's day-to-day leadership of U.S. sales and marketing will allow Farley to work more closely with Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president of Global Product Development, to accelerate the company's "One Ford" global product vision. In addition, Farley will concentrate on enhancing and clarifying the Blue Oval's brand image across all markets and oversee the marketing and communications for a host of new vehicles coming soon to showrooms. In the U.S., Farley and Czubay will work together closely on advertising, sales strategies and product introductions.

"The addition of Ken Czubay will strengthen Ford's leadership team at a key time for Ford and its dealers,” said Mark Fields, Ford president of the Americas. "With Ken joining Jim Farley and the rest of the team, Ford is well positioned to tackle the current market challenges and flourish in the future with the great new vehicles we are bringing to market."

"I am joining Ford for the chance to work with a group of committed, energized colleagues who are really embracing the challenge of restoring a great American icon," Czubay said. "Once you have been at Ford, it's always in your blood. I couldn't be more excited to be coming home."

Czubay joined Ford in 1970 as a financial analyst with Ford Motor Credit Company and went on to work in several positions for Ford Division and Lincoln Mercury.

In 1983, he joined Nissan North America in California, where he worked in sales and marketing until 1987, when he took a position as an executive with the Suburban Collection, a group of auto dealerships based in Troy, Mich. In 1990, Czubay joined Deerfield, Fla.-based Southeast Toyota Distributors, the largest independent distributor of Toyota and Scion vehicles in the world, where he has held several executive positions.

Born in Hamtramck, Mich., and raised in the Detroit area, Czubay graduated from Wayne State University in Detroit with a bachelor's degree in business administration. He and his wife, Jane, have two children.