About the Presenters
Christina Twelftree
Christina Twelftree leads the communication effort involving Ford’s new Corktown campus and the redevelopment of Michigan Central Station. She joined the U.S. team in September 2018 from Ford’s Asia Pacific regional headquarters in Shanghai, where she was manager of Ford brand communications for several years.
Before joining Ford, Christina gained over a decade of international communication experience working for big global brands, fast-growing start-ups, and consulting firms. She began her communications career at Ogilvy PR in Beijing, as part of its China-based financial communications team. From 2006 to 2009, she was the head of international public affairs at the Chinese e-commerce giant, Alibaba.com, where she spearheaded the planning and implementation of the company’s communications strategy outside of Mainland China, including all PR activities around its landmark 2007 IPO in Hong Kong.
Christina has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Adelaide and studied intensive Mandarin at the Chinese Language and Cultural University in Beijing. An Australian citizen, she currently lives in Detroit with her husband and three children.
Stuart Ruderfer
Stuart Ruderfer is the Co-founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Civic, an award-winning creative agency devoted to building bridges between companies and the communities they serve. He has overseen Civic’s emergence as one of the industry’s most innovative strategic marketing companies, serving such iconic brands as Ford, Airbnb, HBO, Snap, HISTORY, Verizon, NBC, CNN, the NFL Network and eBay. Civic is part of Ryan Seacrest’s Seacrest Global Group.
Ruderfer has led Civic’s creative, strategic and client development work since its launch in 1999. In addition to overseeing the company’s overall growth, he has devoted special time and attention to projects that address Civic’s strong commitment to innovative pro-social efforts focused on education, community development and social justice. Ruderfer has been deeply involved in the development of Ford Motor Company’s community engagement strategy, NBC’s Education Nation initiatives, as well as its work with Think It Up! and The Gates Foundation. He was an executive producer of Shining A Light: A Concert for Progress on Race in America, serves on the board of Pencil and is an Advisory Board Member at 2U, Inc.
Prior to founding Civic, Ruderfer launched the Marketing & Events Division for the City of New York under Mayor Rudy Giuliani where he produced the HBO Garth Brooks Live Concert in Central Park. Ruderfer graduated magna cum laude from George Washington University where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He earned his J.D. from George Washington University Law School and lives in New York City with his wife and three sons.
Marisa Bradley
Marisa Bradley is the director of CEO and Internal Communications at Ford Motor Company. She’s responsible for leading executive communications for President and CEO Jim Hackett, as well as Ford’s global internal and workplace communications.
Previously Marisa led the digital, broadcast, lifestyle and marketing communications for the Ford brand in North America. Marisa joined Ford in 2005 after graduation from the University of Michigan. During her more than ten years with Ford, she has held various positions including managing product, auto show and dealer communications.
In her spare time Marisa is also a dance instructor, teaching ballet weekly at a local studio. Marisa lives in Ann Arbor, MI with her husband Alan and new daughter.