DEARBORN, Michigan — Ford Motor Co. on Monday announced a chief executive officer to lead Michigan Central, the mobility district the automaker is developing in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit, anchored by the former Michigan Central Station.
Joshua Sirefman, 54, the co-founder and former president of New York City-based Sidewalk Labs — Google parent company Alphabet Inc.'s smart city projects — has been tapped for the role. His chief task: to "advance the vision for the district and execute a plan that leverages placemaking, cross-sector collaboration, and real estate development to promote innovation and inclusion," according to a news release.
In addition to leading the development of the district, Sirefman will head up Michigan Central's Innovation Services Business that includes overseeing the agenda set by the project's "founding members" — so far, Ford and Google — and other public-private partners, according to Ford. Sirefman will be responsible for recruiting new talent to the campus and coordinating governance and reporting.
