Rod Edwards — a beacon and rock for Ford information technology

Rod Edwards was born in Cheshire in 1941. He attended Crewe Grammar School and then entered the University of Manchester. He secured first class honours in Electrical Engineering and was invited to stay on to study for a PhD.

He began teaching at this time and exercised firm control over persistent latecomers to his lectures. Before he began he would lock the lecture hall door so that someone arriving late would get just a dismissive wave — but nothing more. That fixed lateness!

Whilst at university he met his future wife, Ann and they married in 1965. Their family expanded to include two daughters and a son, and eventually five grand-children. All three children took science & engineering degrees at university.

Rod joined Ford in 1969 as a planner for Process Control Systems. He quickly advanced through the ranks, and was senior manager for Engineering & Manufacturing Systems from 1976 to 1994. His job entailed extensive travel, and during one year his family recorded 17 business trips to the US, keeping him away from home for 34 weekends.

In the early 1980s Rod was appointed co-Chair of the Computer Technologies in Manufacturing Forum (CTIM) working with our German and American colleagues developing IT strategies and keeping abreast of new technologies.

In 1994 Ford conferred on Rod its highest technical award, the Technical Fellowship. He was only the seventh person in company history to be so honoured. He was very proud of this achievement.

With the advent of Ford 2000, his role was expanded in 1995 when he was appointed worldwide Director of Plant Floor Systems.

Rod retired in 1996 but remained active within information technology for many more years. He consulted for former Ford supplier, Logica, bringing customer perspectives to that company's business. And he retained his visiting professorship at Cranfield University.

Not over-extended by his business travel, Rod and Ann travelled often during vacation and in retirement — to China, India, Egypt, Thailand, the US again and again, and to many other places!

Rod suffered poor health during his final years, but he remained at home and will have been given the strongest support from Ann and the rest of his family until his death in October 2024.

Bill Fairclough worked with Rod Edwards for 21 years. He writes:

" When I joined Systems Office in 1975, Rod was a senior manager who commanded great respect. I was working for Process Control Systems, implementing minicomputer test and control systems. In 1983 I was appointed manager of the department working directly for Rod.

I was the European CTIM secretary and one of the perks was that we organised visits to other automotive companies in the US and Europe, including Honda, Toyota, Chrysler, Peugeot, BMW and many others.

In 1995 with Ford 2000 and globalisation, Rod was appointed Director, Global Plant Floor Systems and I continued working for him until his retirement in 1996.

Rod was a great manager to work for. He was logical and he was always able to cut to the issue and ask the correct penetrating question. He had a great reputation and was the go-to manager to ask for advice. He was Graham Gooding’s right hand man, guiding Graham through the IT challenges of the day.

Rod always conducted himself with great poise and as a gentleman. Always polite and well-mannered and not easily flustered.

He was not a good traveller, always worrying about what might happen particularly when flying. On one occasion we picked up a car from Valencia Plant and were told that it didn’t have a spare wheel. On the trip Rod was continually fretting that we would have a puncture and as we approached Gandia it happened. Rod was right again!

Rod will be sorely missed. A man we all looked up to. A beacon and rock of European IT for over 30 years. "

From long-term colleague, John Saville:

"Rod was more than a colleague with whom I worked for nearly three decades. He was a friend and somebody whose intellect I admired greatly.

He was part of the interview process for me to be selected to join Ford in 1972. He was my first boss, and I think I was his first subordinate as, up to then, his role had been as a planner.

He was my boss in several jobs as our careers progressed and then my 'facing manager' at other times. It has been sad that in recent years our direct contact has been limited by his illness."

Bill Stuart-Bruges was Manager, Process Control Systems within Rod's team:

"I knew Rod from 1970 when I joined Ford — bright eyed and bushy tailed, after a whole 18 months in GEC-Elliott Radar. With Jim Laidler, we were the odd-balls of the Systems Office as we actually did things inside the plants: numerically-controlled machinery and process control systems.

These were heady days, taking on projects that were seen to be risky at the time. Rod turned a few hairs after my computer transported his boss, Alfons Kloeck, in a pallet, to a location 100 feet up in Dagenham's high-bay warehouse!

Rod was always supportive, he exercised calm logical decisions and contributed much to my respect for the company I left behind in 1980."

Rod Edwards and Manufacturing systems managers review the emerging Ford Production System in 1996