Lyle Watters, a former senior executive at Ford Motor Company, has been appointed to the advisory board of Queen's Business School at Queen's University Belfast.

Watters spent 37 years at Ford in leadership roles across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the United States, South America, China, and other Asian markets. He served for eight years as a corporate officer, including as president of Ford South America and international markets group, vice president and general manager of Ford's passenger vehicle business in China, and chief financial officer of Ford of Europe and South America.

He has held board and governance positions with major Ford joint ventures in China, Turkey, Russia, and Germany. His work covered evaluating investment opportunities, supporting domestic and export growth, developing business models, and leading organisational restructuring.

Outside of Ford, Watters is a member of the Senate of Queen's University Belfast and a trustee of the USPCA. He also works as an independent business advisor. He completed an MBA at Queen's and received an honorary Doctor of Science in Economics from the university earlier this summer.

Commenting on his appointment, Watters said he was pleased to take on the role at a time when the school has strong foundations and growing international ambition. He said his priority is to ensure the board is forward-looking and impactful, helping the school anticipate change, strengthen its international reach, and create new opportunities for students, faculty, and the communities it serves.

Prof M N Ravishankar, dean and head of Queen's Business School, said he welcomed Watters to the board. He noted the school's recent transformation and said advisory board colleagues are generous with their time and support.