Mike Bastian
Automation & Controls Engineering Director @Ford Motor Company
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WORK HISTORY
Automation & Controls Engineering Director @Ford Motor Company
Redford, MI, US
Oversee 170+ engineers (12 direct reports at senior manager/director level) supporting 70+ facilities across vehicle assembly, powertrain, battery, and casting in North America, Asia, and Europe• Centralized controls architecture across three regions, reducing program costs $2-5M per initiative across 47 active programs through standardized design and global resource sharing• Own $150M OpEx (software, SaaS, cybersecurity) and $600-800M capital spend—negotiated vendor contract improvements, consolidated redundant systems, optimized disaster recovery and network monitoring solutions• Established hub-and-spoke cybersecurity model for IT/OT assets; manage audit closures and internal controls compliance across global manufacturing footprint• Architected organizational design and KPI framework for engineering team; driving value stream efficiency improvements across program delivery lifecycle• Execute VMware remediation and current model software support strategy ensuring business continuity for manufacturing operations
EDUCATION
Michigan State University - Eli Broad College of Business
MBA
The Ohio State University
Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc), Electrical and Electronics Engineering
SKILLS
ABOUT MIKE BASTIAN
I currently oversee 170+ engineers supporting 70+ global facilities across vehicle assembly, powertrain, battery, and casting operations in North America, Asia, and Europe. I\'m responsible for $150M in OpEx (software, SaaS, cybersecurity) and $600-800M in controls-related capital spending. Over the past 18 months, I\'ve centralized controls architecture across three regions, reducing program costs $2-5M per initiative across 47 active programs. I drove development of US Car 53, an industry-wide data communication standard now adopted across Ford, GM, Stellantis, and tier-one suppliers—enabling plug-and-play automation and simplified AI/ML deployment across automotive manufacturing. As Automation & Controls Engineering Director at Ford, I specialize in controls architecture standardization and Industry 4.0 deployment at scale.My approach centers on building standards that scale, influencing without authority, and translating technical complexity into business outcomes. I\'ve scaled teams (40 to 120 engineers), led global cybersecurity initiatives ($50-70M), and established IT governance frameworks that balance innovation with operational reliability. Earlier in my career, I received the Henry Ford Technology Award for eliminating hot test requirements—$30M in savings through advanced in-process testing technology.I\'m exploring VP-level manufacturing engineering and digital transformation roles in automotive, aerospace, heavy equipment, and industrial automation—particularly opportunities to scale Industry 4.0 capabilities, lead operational turnarounds, or build smart manufacturing infrastructure from the ground up.
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