Ms Brankin will be responsible for all of Ford’s marketing, sales and service activities in the UK and Ireland, and will report to Jon Williams, vice-president of sales, Ford of Europe. She has been acting in the position for a month.

She was previously director of passenger vehicles for Ford of Britain and Ireland, having also been director of sales for Ford of Britain from January 2019 and director of marketing, Ford of Britain from August 2015.

She has also been a director of dealer operations and was responsible for dealer activities including the Transit Specialist Dealer Centres and rolling out the FordStore initiative, a network of upgraded, new-look dealerships. She joined Ford in September 1990 as a graduate trainee.

She will be replaced as director of passenger vehicles by Anthony Ireson, currently the director of Ford Customer Service Division, Ford of Britain and Ireland, and who had previously been director of marketing, Ford of Europe.

Mr Barratt spent the last five years as managing director of Ford of Britain, and before that served as UK sales director.

By Neil Dowling