Derek Kuzak, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development, has been named the recipient of the 2010 National Academy of Engineering Award, which is said to be “the highest honor and most prestigious award in the engineering community.”

Kuzak, who holds BS and MS degrees in electrical engineering, as well as a doctorate in systems engineering, has been with Ford since 1978. He started his career as a research engineer.

While Ford president and CEO Alan Mulally is widely credited for the turnaround of fortunes at Ford—and is deserving of that credit—Kuzak’s contributions to product development cannot be overlooked nor overstated. Arguably, it is the product direction and cadence that is playing a major role in Ford’s success.

Kuzak spent 2000 through 2005 in various product development roles at Ford of Europe. A key part of Ford’s approach to the business is the “ONE Ford” plan, which is about leveraging global resources. So Kuzak’s familiarity with both the products and processes in Europe are vitally important.

For example, the Transit Connect is a European product that he helped develop. It is now proving to be a big success in the U.S. market. And the next-generation Focus and the Ford Fiesta are two more products that will be introduced that are based on the learnings and practices from elsewhere.

Our congratulations to Kuzak for an honor well deserved.