LYLE WATTERS

Vice- president, Ford Motor Company and President, Ford South America

BORN in sleepy Tobermore in County Londonderry, Lyle Watters is responsible for all of Ford’s activities in South America. That’s a lot of plates to spin, with economic crises in regions like Brazil, the firm’s base in the area. Ford suffered big losses in South America in 2017, although there were signs of improvement as the deficits were reduced compared with 12 months earlier. Watters’ challenge will be to grab profits where they’re available, and to build the business beyond the tiny margins of fleet sales.