Ford Motor Co., known for its brawny work trucks, is aiming to remake its commercial-vehicle business into a tech-driven ecosystem of services capable of generating tens of billions in fresh revenue.
To do it, Chief Executive Jim Farley has turned to a jack-of-all-trades executive: Ted Cannis. He most recently was the point person on one of Ford’s highest-profile projects: the development of the Mustang Mach-E SUV, its first bid to take on Tesla Inc. in plug-in cars.
The business of selling trucks and cargo vans to landscapers, contractors and other commercial buyers operating work fleets has traditionally been a sideshow in the auto industry. But at Ford, it is a big, profitable business that the auto maker dominates, despite it being far removed from glitzy auto-show reveals and big ad budgets.
Its commercial-vehicle sales in 2019 totaled $27 billion in revenue, higher than Netflix Inc. or Eli Lilly & Co.
Under Mr. Farley, who took the top job in October, the commercial business has taken on outsize strategic importance.
