Orlando, Fla. – Foundation Partners Group, a leading provider of innovative funeral, cemetery and cremation experiences and products, has announced the promotion of industry veteran Jim Ford to the position of senior vice president, chief customer officer, according to a news release. In this role, Ford will be responsible for implementing FPG’s customer experience programs – from customer service strategies to operations excellence initiatives for the FPG funeral homes and cemeteries. The position was formerly held by Justin Baxley, who was recently promoted to the position of senior vice president of business development at FPG.
“This is an important appointment for Foundation Partners Group as we continue to put the customer at the heart of everything we do,” Brad Rex, Foundation Partners Group president and CEO, said. “Our company is gaining tremendous momentum and like the rest of my executive team, Jim shares this commitment to our customers, which is what makes him an excellent fit for this position.”
Ford has been with Foundation Partners Group since September 2014. Most recently, he held the position of vice president, business optimization, where he led efforts to formulate and implement business strategies that drove organizational growth and expansion. He also developed and opened FPG’s Right Choice Cremation business.
“I look forward to marrying the best aspects of conventional end-of-life care with new ideas and technologies like our ShareLife proprietary multi-sensory memorialization experience,” Ford said. “I’m eager to help our location leaders enable families in their communities to capture, acknowledge and share life’s purpose.”
Prior to joining Foundation Partners Group, Ford held the positions of chief operating officer and senior vice president of cremation services with the Neptune Society in Plantation, Florida. Before that, he held several senior management positions with Service Corporation International during his 16 years with the company.
Ford is a native of Southern California and was a licensed funeral director in California. He attended Loyola University in Los Angeles where he studied biology. He has served on the boards of directors of the Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin Cemetery associations and the board of directors of the Indiana Funeral Directors Association.