Faces of Ford: Maja Smith

For someone who admits she still has a lot to learn about cars and who has a fear of speed, Maja Smith has managed to navigate the automotive industry extremely well.

Maja is FCSD director for South Africa – a role she took on a just over a year ago and one she’s extremely passionate about.

“I count myself lucky to have a job that challenges me daily on both a practical and a cerebral level, and that enables me to have a direct impact on the lives of our dealers and our customers,” she said.

Maja’s unlikely journey into motoring started back in 2010, when she returned from a decade abroad in Europe to take a job at Ogilvy – Ford South Africa’s public relations agency at the time. It was her first real exposure to the automotive world, and she quickly fell in love with what she describes as “one of the most fascinating industries to work in.”

In April 2013 Maja jumped at the chance to join Ford’s communications department, beginning a ten-year journey in which she has held in communications, marketing, customer experience (CX) and now aftersales. She describes the past decade as a “whirlwind” but also says she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“The fact that no day is the same – you never know what you’re going to be dealing with, and that keeps things interesting and exciting,” she said. “There’s nothing worse than being bored in your job. In FCSD you can never be bored.”

Maja is the mum of two boys whom she says provide much-needed ‘life-context’ to her work. She says she’s “borderline obsessive” about exercise, spending time with friends, and reading at least two books at a time.

Maja credits her passion and zest for life to her parents. “If I could have even a fraction of the energy they have at their age and have accomplished even half as much in my life, I will be very fulfilled.”

She also feels that IMG’s diversity is key to a bright future for Ford.

“IMG continues to prove to the rest of the Ford world that we can be nimble and proactive – that we can collaborate across departments and countries, breaking down silos and outdated ways of working,” she said. “We have all the opportunity across our incredibly diverse markets to do some really special work. I can’t imagine a better team or region to be a part of.”