About

Ford de México, the domestic subsidiary of the US multinational automaker, has been doing business since 1925. Diego Valdovinos, its legal affairs director and compliance officer for Mexico, Puerto Rico and Central America, currently leads Ford de México’s five-strong legal team. In the last 12 months, he actively recruited the relatively young yet experienced members that make up the team today. ‘We are a young team (34 years on average) so our main challenge is to continue innovation in preventive measures to avoid a high risk contingency’, says Valdovinos. So far, the team have saved the company over $250m in litigation cases, M&A deals and an extension warranty project. In addition to costs savings, the team has been at the forefront of Ford de México’s acquisitions of a vehicles plant in San Luis Potosi, an engine plant in Chihuahua and transmission plant in Irapuato. With the exchange rate, regulatory changes and political climate posing as potential future challenges for Ford de México, the legal team’s business focused and ‘preventative’ approach as well as its close interaction with different business units and senior management.