Ex-Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon, Escalade Engineer Now President Of Lincoln

Dianne Craig, the current president at Lincoln, is poised to retire at the end of April after a 38-year career at Ford Motor Company. Craig will be replaced by Joaquin Nuno-Whelan, who joined Ford in 2024 and brings 25 years of experience in vehicle and technology development. Highlights in Nuno-Whelan’s resume include an extended stint with GM as chief engineer for some of The General’s most-successful models.

Joaquin Nuno-Whelan

Nuno-Whelan joined GM in 1997, serving in various roles before leaving The General in January of 2019. During that time, Nuno-Whelan served as Chief engineer for GM’s Global Small SUV division, working on models like the Chevy Trax, Buick Encore, and Vauxhall / Opel Mokka, helping GM to become a segment leader back when the segment was still relatively nascent. Nuno-Whelan also served as GM’s Chief Engineer of Emerging Market Vehicles for models like the Chevy Onix and Chevy Prisma, the best-selling models in Brazil at the time. Finally, Nuno-Whelan was Chief Engineer For GM’s Next Generation Full Size SUVs (T1-based), which are now the best-selling models in their respective segment in the U.S. market.

“With [Nuno-Whelan’s] deep product knowledge and his experience in luxury vehicle development, he will play a critical role in guiding the evolution of the Lincoln brand and its next generation global product portfolio and connected experiences,” said Ford CMO Lisa Materazzo. “Lincoln is at an exciting moment in its revitalization, and he will bring a fresh and unique perspective to our luxury brand.”

Nuno-Whelan will replace Dianne Craig, who took over leadership at the premium brand in late 2022 following the departure of Joy Falotico. During her tenure, Craig helped to steer the brand through a significant shift away from an electric vehicle-centric strategy.

Craig also oversaw the launch of the redesigned 2024 Nautilus and the all-new 2025 Navigator, as well as helped the brand to achieve its best U.S. sales results in 17 years. Before leading Lincoln, Craig held several other high-level positions at Ford, including president of Ford of Canada, president of Ford’s International Markets group, and CEO of FordDirect.

“I am deeply grateful for the incredible journey and wealth of experiences gained during my career with Ford,” Craig said in a farewell statement. “Starting at Lincoln and concluding my career leading the revitalization of the global Lincoln business has truly been an honor. Over the years, it has been a privilege to work around the world with talented teams of amazing people and having the opportunity of a lifetime to forge wonderful partnerships and friendships with our Ford and Lincoln dealers.”