Mind Robotics appoints former Ford executive Doug Field as president

Former Ford executive Doug Field is joining Mind Robotics as president, taking responsibility for product development, engineering and operations. The industrial AI and robotics startup, spun out of Rivian last year, announced his appointment at a San Francisco conference.

Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe will continue to participate in the venture while Field manages its daily business. Mind Robotics operates independently of Rivian, which reported holding about a third of the startup as of June 30, 2026.

Investors have provided more than $1 billion in backing. They include Eclipse, Kleiner Perkins, Accel, Andreessen Horowitz and the venture investment arms of Salesforce and Volkswagen.

The startup is developing an integrated system for industrial manufacturing, including purpose-built robots that will use foundation models. Scaringe said the robots would not seek to replicate the entire range of human biomechanics. Rivian is the venture’s first customer and serves as a high-volume manufacturing setting where models can be trained and deployed.

Field’s exit from Ford in April came amid a broader leadership reorganization, after five years working on electric vehicle and technology strategies. His earlier roles included leading Apple’s Project Titan, a car project canceled in 2024, and overseeing Model 3 development and production as Tesla’s senior vice president of engineering.