Ford will hand its Iberian operation to Elena Burguete on 1 December 2026. The appointment comes as Geely takes a 34% stake in Almussafes, where its first vehicles are expected in 2028.
China’s market regulator cleared the Almussafes deal on 21 September 2026, setting up a major change for Ford’s Valencia plant. The approval was published on 12 October.
Geely is acquiring a 34% stake in the factory’s production structure, with Ford keeping 66%. The companies will jointly control a venture that is set to build Geely vehicles at Almussafes. Operations are due to begin in the first half of 2027, with the first new vehicles expected to roll off the line in 2028.
Jeff Jones will lead the joint venture. He formerly served as Ford’s global director of purchasing for digital technologies and electrified systems.
Against that backdrop, Elena Burguete will become president and CEO of Ford Iberia on 1 December 2026. The role covers Spain and Portugal. She replaces Jesús Alonso, who is retiring after more than 40 years at Ford and has led the Spanish operation since 2015.
Burguete has spent more than three decades at Ford. She became director of Marketing, then finance director, before taking charge of the Commercial Vehicles division. From 2007 to 2010, she worked at Jaguar Land Rover Spain as finance and human resources director, then returned to Ford. In 2023, she moved to Ford Europe as director of Field Operations for customer experience. She later took charge of Training and Dealer Engagement.
Alonso joined Ford in 1987 as sales director and went on to hold senior roles in the Spanish division. He has led Ford Spain for more than ten years, through the European industry’s shift towards electrification and cuts to Ford’s production capacity in Europe.
