Complex sentence: He joined Ford in 1979 and 1981 held a variety of positions--notably beginning in product development and on the finance staff, a grooming ground for future executives, and several years as a mid-ranking executive in product development.
Split into simpler sentences: He joined Ford in 1979 and 1981 held a variety of positions, beginning in product development and on the finance staff, a grooming ground for future executives. He served several years as a mid-ranking executive in product development.