Leave It Better Than You Found It: Justin Counts on Advocacy, Access and Leadership at Ford

Advocate Leader Feature | Women Automotive Network

At the Women Automotive Network, we are proud to spotlight the professionals who create access, champion advancement, and push for meaningful change across our industry. Our Advocate Leader series celebrates the advocates, mentors, and sponsors whose leadership is helping reshape what automotive looks and feels like for professionals at every level.

In this edition, we feature Justin Counts, Chief of Staff to Kay Hart and Director of Business Operations at Ford Motor Company. With a career spanning sales, operations, business transformation, and executive leadership, Justin brings a clear and personal conviction to his advocacy: that removing barriers is not a programme or an initiative, it is simply what good leadership looks like every day.

Above: Justin Counts, Chief of Staff to Kay Hart, Director of Business Operations, Ford Motor Company

Can you tell us a little about you, your background and how you got started in the automotive industry?

I've spent my career helping organizations improve performance, build high-performing teams, and drive transformation across the automotive industry. My experience has included leadership roles in sales, operations, business transformation, and executive support, giving me the opportunity to work with talented teams across many parts of the business.

What initially attracted me to automotive was the scale of impact. Few industries combine technology, manufacturing, innovation, and people quite the way automotive does. It's an industry that touches millions of lives every day, and I've always been energized by the opportunity to help shape its future.

What is your current role, and what are your primary responsibilities within your organisation?

I currently serve as the Chief of Staff to Kay Hart, the leader of the Model e division (our global electrified vehicle portfolio), and Director of Business Operations for Ford Motor Company. My role helps drive organizational effectiveness, strategic execution, executive communications, and cross-functional collaboration across the business.

A significant part of my role involves helping leaders navigate complex challenges, align teams around shared objectives, and create the operating rhythms that enable people and organizations to perform at their best.

What inspired you to take on a role in advocating for under-represented groups in the automotive industry?

For me, it starts with a very simple belief: everyone deserves the same opportunity to succeed.

Throughout my career I've worked alongside exceptional women whose contributions, leadership, and expertise have helped shape successful organizations. Supporting greater access to opportunities isn't just good for business, it's the right thing to do.

As a father of two daughters, the issue is also deeply personal. I want them to enter a workforce where opportunities are determined by talent, character, and performance. If there are barriers that prevent people from reaching their potential, we all have a responsibility to help remove them.

Advocacy doesn't always require a title or formal role. Sometimes it's creating visibility for someone, making a connection, sponsoring a leader for a speaking opportunity, or ensuring the right voices are in the room. Those actions can have a lasting impact.

"I want them to enter a workforce where opportunities are determined by talent, character, and performance. If there are barriers that prevent people from reaching their potential, we all have a responsibility to help remove them."

— Justin Counts, Chief of Staff, Ford Motor Company

What role do you think mentors and sponsors can play, and how do you recommend finding and cultivating these relationships?

Mentors and sponsors play different but equally important roles.

Mentors help people navigate challenges, develop skills, and gain perspective. Sponsors go a step further by actively advocating for opportunities and helping talented individuals gain visibility.

The best advice I can give is to focus on building authentic relationships rather than seeking a title of mentor or sponsor. Consistently deliver great work, stay curious, ask thoughtful questions, and invest in relationships over time. Most meaningful mentoring and sponsorship relationships grow naturally through trust and shared experiences.

How do you support and empower women in your organisation to achieve their career goals?

One of the most impactful things leaders can do is create opportunities.

Throughout my career, I've looked for ways to connect talented women with leadership visibility, stretch assignments, networking opportunities, and speaking engagements that help accelerate professional growth.

While I was at MSX, that included partnering with the Women Automotive Network, supporting sponsorship efforts, and helping create opportunities for female leaders to share their expertise at industry events. At Ford, I've joined the Women of Ford group and am working to connect the organization with WAN to expand access to development resources, industry insights, and professional networks.

I believe real progress happens when advocacy is part of everyday leadership, not an occasional initiative.

How do you inspire your team and peers to embrace diversity and drive inclusive practices?

I try to lead through actions rather than slogans.

Inclusive cultures are built when leaders consistently seek different perspectives, encourage participation, create equitable opportunities, and make sure every voice is heard and valued.

Innovation thrives when people bring varied experiences and viewpoints to the table. The strongest teams I've worked with have been those that challenged assumptions, respected differences, and focused on learning from one another.

How do you challenge outdated mindsets and systemic biases within the industry?

I believe change often starts with asking better questions.

When decisions are being made, leaders should regularly ask who is represented, who may be missing from the conversation, and whether opportunities are being distributed fairly. Sometimes bias is not intentional, but it can still create barriers if left unaddressed.

Challenging outdated mindsets is less about confrontation and more about creating awareness, accountability, and opportunities for better outcomes. Every leader has the ability to influence culture through the decisions they make every day.

What is your personal career motto?

"Leave people, teams, and organizations better than you found them."

I lead my daughter's Girl Scout troop, and this has a familiar tone to leaving camp sites and nature better than you found it. I like that. I've always believed leadership is ultimately about service. Success isn't measured only by business results, but by the opportunities you create, the people you develop, and the positive impact that remains long after you're gone.

About Ford Motor Company

We believe in the power of creating a world with fewer obstacles and limits, where people have the freedom to build a better life and pursue their dreams.

To shorten the distance between where you are and where you want to go. To connect people down the road and over the horizon — to discover possibilities, and enjoy the thrill, adventure and pride of moving freely.

From day one, we've provided people with tools to help them move forward and upward. We've innovated to expand their opportunities. And we've worked to earn their trust, every single day.

We honor our legacy as we build the future — a better world for generations to come. Because when everyone is free to move, and free to dream, we do what we do best: we change the world.

To learn more about Ford Motor Company