Ziad Ojakli, Board of Directors

Ziad S. Ojakli is a Ford Motor Co. group vice president of government and community relations. He leads a team that helps shape policy and legislation in order to promote the company’s core business objectives, including areas of energy and the environment, taxes, international trade, and improvements to the nation’s health care and pension systems.

As head of Ford’s global governmental relations and public policy, Ojakli oversees interactions with governments in 110 markets around the world where Ford does business. He is responsible for Ford’s relationship with federal and state governments in the U.S., as well as the company’s community relations. His public policy office identifies emerging issues and develops positions aligned with corporate principles and business objectives.

Ojakli also oversees the company’s philanthropic arm, the Ford Motor Company Fund, which contributes to worthy causes in support of a broad range of initiatives improving the quality of life within communities. He is chair of Ford's political action committee and oversees the grassroots communications efforts of Ford employees.

From 2001 to 2004, Ojakli served President George W. Bush as a deputy assistant to the president for legislative affairs, the president’s chief liaison to the U.S. Senate. In this role, he managed daily interactions of the White House with senators, assisted in strategy and policy development, and coordinated legislative strategy with the administration’s agencies and Cabinet departments. He also directed the administration’s efforts to secure confirmation of presidential nominations.

Prior to joining the White House staff Ojakli served as the Senate liaison for the Bush-Cheney transition team.

From 1998 to 2000, Ojakli was policy director and chief of staff to Senate Republican Conference Secretary Paul Coverdell of Georgia. Ojakli played a key role in planning and implementing the legislative goals of the Senate Republican leadership and was responsible for developing and managing much of the communications strategy for the party leadership. 

Ojakli served as chief of staff to Rep. Mark Souder of Indiana, and was his key political adviser, from 1995 to 1998. Prior to that, he was a legislative assistant to Sen. Dan Coats of Indiana, in which time he specialized in budget, tax, trade, energy and environmental issues.

He is an active board member of numerous organizations, including the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, the Arab American National Museum advisory board, the Henry Ford Learning Institute (HFLI), the Institute on Business and Government Affairs (IBGA), the Jackie Robinson Foundation, the National Association of Manufacturers, the Washington Center for Internships and the National Civil Rights Museum.

Along with his corporate work, Ojakli was named a delegate to the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders forum, joining 410 leaders from all regions of the world.  

A graduate of Georgetown University with a bachelor’s in American government, Ojakli joined Ford Motor Co. in January 2004.