Ford recruits a Twitch and PlayStation expert to lead its digital services.
Services, services, services.
Ford has announced the addition of a new executive to its team, a professional with a solid background in technology and entertainment companies. Mike Aragon, who previously served as CEO of Mirror, Lululemon's at-home training device, will join the automotive company as President of "Integrated Services."
In his new role, Aragon will lead a team focused on developing and marketing a range of services and experiences for various Ford divisions. These include Ford Pro, which focuses on businesses and fleets; Ford Blue, dedicated to conventional passenger vehicles; and Ford Model e, which specializes in electric vehicles. Currently, the company has over 800,000 paid subscriptions for various services, such as the hands-free driving system BlueCruise and fleet management software.
Ford CEO Jim Farley highlighted that Aragon will help strengthen the company's initial success in the integrated services space. Farley emphasized that Aragon has a proven track record of creating valuable digital ecosystems for hardware companies, including his experience with the PlayStation Network service and his leadership on Twitch's content teams.
Mike Aragon replaces Peter Stern, who previously held the position and came from Apple, where he played a crucial role in developing various paid subscription offerings such as Apple TV Plus and Fitness Plus. Farley praised Stern's arrival in 2023, noting that digital transformation in the industry is one of the most significant changes, marking the merger of digital products and physical services. Subscriptions have emerged as one of the main sources of revenue for companies like Apple, and Stern has recently taken on the role of CEO at Peloton, known for its bike that includes a subscription service.
