Ford Motor has hired Doug Field, the engineering executive who was leading Apple’s special projects team, as the automaker seeks to gain an edge in software and other advanced technology.

Field, who previously was senior vice president of engineering at Tesla, was named as Ford’s chief advanced technology and embedded systems officer. Field was most recently VP of Apple Special Projects, a team that was also working on its so-called Titan car project.

In this new position, Field will report directly to Ford President and CEO Jim Farley and oversee the company’s embedded software and hardware organization, which today consists of vehicle controls, enterprise connectivity, features, integration and validation, architecture and platform, driver assistance technology and digital engineering tools. This means Field will be responsible for the design, development and implementation of the entire tech stack used in Ford and Lincoln-branded vehicles, including infotainment, navigation, driver-assist technology, connected services and vehicle cybersecurity.

The departure is the latest shake-up for Apple’s car division, which has undergone numerous shifts over the past several years. Despite starting the project in 2014, work on an autonomous electric vehicle is still in an early stage, Bloomberg reported in January. That approach is a change from an earlier plan to develop self-driving software that would be utilized by other carmakers — which itself was a change from trying to build a car.

“We’re grateful for the contributions Doug has made to Apple and we wish him all the best in this next chapter,” an Apple spokesperson said in a statement to The Verge.

Connected vehicles are a key part to Ford’s new turnaround plan that’s designed to reposition the automaker to generate more recurring revenue through software services.

Farley described the Field’s hire as a “watershed moment” for the automaker. It follows Ford Chair Bill Ford telling CNBC that the automaker would be announcing new executives to Farley’s management team.