Anthony Cooprider - Senior Technical Leader for Global Electronic Systems
Dr. Cooprider turned his love of electronics into a successful career of innovation at Ford.
Dr. Cooprider turned his love of electronics into a successful career of innovation at Ford.
Many people have extracurricular interests, but from an early age Dr. Anthony “Tony” Cooprider had a particular penchant for tinkering with electronics and restoring antique radios – hobbies that made him well-suited for the automotive industry. After studying electrical engineering with a specialty in electromagnetics as an undergraduate in the ‘80s, he was immediately drawn to Ford, which had one of the largest electromagnetic testing facilities in the world.
“I’ve been accused of being a man with too many hobbies,” he says. “All these things have sort of come together as part of my life. I really don’t differentiate between work, whether it is electronic(s), software, mathematics, engineering and all those different things. They are all just part of me.”
Now in his position as a senior technical leader, Tony and his department are responsible for all the electrical content in Ford vehicles globally. From SYNC® and adaptive cruise control to the generation of electricity that enables your car to run, Tony and his team have had a hand in it. The team always seeks to put the customer first when developing new electrical architecture, and has transformed the way it works to meet current customers’ high expectations for how their electronic devices work. “Our customers are very sophisticated and the consumer electronics side of the market has made them much more sophisticated buyers,” Tony says. “So we have to rise to meet those expectations. Many of those expectations for our vehicles today are driven by the consumer market.”
Throughout his 30 years at Ford, Tony’s been a part of a variety of groundbreaking initiatives and is the proud owner of more than 15 patents across his diverse and fulfilling career. He’s spent time as an engineering intern, was the first Electrical engineer on the anti-lock brake system team, played an integral role in developing MyKey, and has been active in recruiting and hiring new engineers for a variety of upcoming Ford initiatives.
“We all talk about our first car and we remember it with fondness … think about having an opportunity to work at a company that creates a product that is so personally connected with everybody in their life experience.”
“There are very few industries [that] a person can become a part of, that can change so many people’s lives, and on which you can have a direct impact” Tony says. “We all talk about our first car and we remember it with fondness … think about having an opportunity to work at a company that creates a product that is so personally connected with everybody in their life experience.”
Tony has also been able to work with a variety of different organizations related to engineering from his experience at Ford. Aside from getting his Ph.D. in systems engineering and his MBA through the Ford tuition assistance program, he sits on the engineering boards at three different institutions, allowing him input into the academic process. He’s been a visiting professor in engineering, and is also extremely involved with STEM outreach and recruiting the next generation of engineers at Ford. “I have an impact in a way that hopefully is positive,” he says, “by building up the next generation for the next 40 years through the efforts I am doing today.”