Mandeep Sahota has succeeded Tom Chackalackal as global director of material planning and logistics at Ford, where he will continue the carmaker’s push for more resilient, efficient and digitally connected logistics engineering and operations across its global network.
(L) Mandeep Sahota took over the role of global director of material planning and logistics at Ford earlier this year from Tom Chackalackal (R), who is now leading the OEM's global manufacturing engineering organisation, overseeing production processes and technology across factoriesSource: LinkedIN
Starting in March, Mandeep Sahota took over leadership of Ford Motor Company’s global material planning and logistics (MP&L) department, a critical function spanning material planning and fulfilment, inbound and plant logistics, packaging, production readiness, vehicle logistics and service parts transport across Ford’s manufacturing and distribution network.
Sahota was most recently responsible for MP&L strategy and planning, a role closely connected to Ford’s logistics digitalisation transformation and strategy. He succeeds Tom Chackalackal, who led the department since 2023, and is now leading the carmaker’s global manufacturing engineering organisation, overseeing production processes and technology across factories.
Both Sahota and Chackalackal report to Bryce Currie, chief manufacturing officer at Ford.
The transition comes as Ford continues to strengthen the competitiveness and performance of its industrial operations, with logistics playing a key role. Under Currie, meanwhile, the carmaker has more deeply developed lean production processes with more emphasis on continuous improvement.
According to Sahota, his stewardship of the division will “very much be a continuation” of such objectives and culture, from accelerating digital transformation to leading weekly “Gemba walks” together with his direct reports and their teams at manufacturing and logistics locations.
The pivot to predictive, data and AI-driven logistics management
In the past several years,
Ford has made strides in updating systems, technology and skills across its
logistics. For example, the carmaker has implemented greater levels of automation
in material handling, packaging and logistics processes, including introducing
more module-based
assembly processes for new products, as well as integrating autonomous
mobile robots and automated storage and retrieval systems at plants and
warehouses.
Meanwhile, working in close collaboration with Ford’s business IT division, the carmaker has been in the process of an important digital transformation to update enterprise systems to help it improve visibility and leverage artificial intelligence. In doing so, the carmaker has phased out legacy systems, standardised data and integrated more advanced transport management and yard management systems.
Together with Ford’s global data and analytics team, MP&L has also leveraged supply chain digital twins to better understand and anticipate risk and changes including through the use of autonomous AI agents.
For Mandeep Sahota, the challenge will be to connect those capabilities to consistent global execution and to maintain cost efficiency. But he sees further opportunities to drive improvements through more connected data, close partner collaboration and automated ways of identifying and resolving shortages or excess inventory.
Mandeep Sahota has taken on the role of global director of material planning and logistics at Ford, succeeding Tom Chackalackal
“We are very focused on improving our resilience and efficiency, including through the performance of our organisation, and on scenario planning,” Sahota told Automotive Logistics.
“We want to shift from firefighting to where we can see signals of disruption weeks or even months in advance, and to be ready to respond with different playbooks and scenarios.”
Mandeep Sahota: A career spanning technology and process-driven change
Sahota’s background spans automotive, building management, power electronics and aviation, with experience across commercial and supply chain functions. He joined Ford in 2023 to oversee material strategy and planning, during which time he has been closely involved in Ford’s push towards more connected, data-led material planning and execution. He has also represented Ford in industry discussions focused on intelligent supply chain execution, predictive insights, inventory management and future-resilient connected supply chains.
Prior to Ford, he had a variety of logistics and operational roles in multiple industries. At automotive and electronics supplier Johnson Controls, he had leadership roles in global sales and operations planning, material and operations. Sahota also a variety of roles across GE, including more than a decade in its aviation division in manufacturing, plant and materials leadership roles.
Sahota has a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA from Cleveland State University.
Across his career, Sahota has put a strong emphasis on digital and data ecosystems, process improvement and technology-enabled change – but equally on lean transformation and servant leadership. These are qualities well aligned to the carmaker’s wider objectives in manufacturing, and position Ford’s logistics to continuing playing a leading role in how it turns better visibility, automation and lean management into more resilient execution.
