Robert Parker is director of marketing, sales and service for The Lincoln Motor Company, responsible for expanding and solidifying the brand’s identity in the global market.

He comes to the position having served as president of Lincoln China since 2014. Under his leadership, Lincoln sold 11,630 vehicles in China in 2015, its first full year of sales – a record for a new luxury brand in the country.

Parker started his career with Ford Motor Company in 1989, holding a variety of positions in Ford customer service before joining the product marketing group in Germany in 1998 as Ford Mondeo product marketing manager.

After the launch of Mondeo in 2000, Parker returned to the United States, working for three years in advanced product strategy for such iconic brands in Ford’s Premier Automotive Group as Land Rover, Volvo and Jaguar.

In 2006, he assumed the role of car marketing manager, working on the launch of performance products including Ford GT, Shelby GT, Shelby GT500 and Shelby GT500KR. Parker also was responsible for leading 45th anniversary activities for Ford Mustang.

In 2008, Parker was named director of product communications, responsible for media launches of new products and technologies for Ford and Lincoln brands. In 2010, he became group marketing manager, leading consumer and product marketing teams on Ford Fiesta, Focus, Fusion, Escape and the ST brand.

Working with such distinctive brands has given Parker insights into the luxury demographic. “Today’s luxury customers crave personally crafted experiences that reflect not only their loyalty to the brand, but their individuality,” he explains.

“That’s what Lincoln clients can expect,” he adds. “In fact, it’s what initiatives like The Lincoln Way – the brand’s largest investment ever in personalized client services and experiences – are all about.”

Parker’s enthusiasm for his job has never wavered, something he credits with being raised in a household in which character and creativity were always encouraged. A graduate of Northern Arizona University, Parker is the son of two schoolteachers; his father, Jesse Parker, was inducted both into the national and Arizona High School Coaches Hall of Fame.

“I’ve enjoyed every day I’ve worked in this industry,” says Parker. “Cars have always been my passion.” In his spare time, Parker enjoys restoring classic Ford vehicles.