William Clay Ford Jr

William Clay ” Bill ” Ford Jr. (born May 3, 1957) is an American businessman. The great-grandson of Henry Ford , have Serves as the executive chairman of Ford Motor Company . Ford ook served as the President , CEO , and COO Until turning over Those roles to former Boeing executive Alan Mulally in September 2006. ^{[2] [3]} Ford have been killed the Vice President of the Detroit Lions NFL franchise. ^[4]

Early life and education

Ford was born in Detroit, Michigan , the great-grandson of Henry Ford and great-grandson of Harvey Firestone . His Father was William Clay Ford Sr. and his mother was Martha Firestone . On his mother’s side his grandparents are Harvey S. Firestone Jr. and Elizabeth Parks Firestone . On his Father’s side his grandparents are Edsel Bryant Ford and Eleanor Lowthian Clay. Edsel Ford II , sun or Henry Ford II and ook a board member, Ford’s cousin. Ford has three sisters: Martha Morse (who has three children), Sheila Hamp (who has three children), and Elizabeth Kontulis.

Ford graduated from the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut in 1975 ^[1] and went on to graduate from Princeton University in 1979, keeping majored in history and served as president of The Ivy Club . He played will on the Princeton hockey team as well. In 1984 he RECEIVED an MS in Management as a Sloan Fellow from the MIT Sloan School of Management . ^[5]

Career

He joined Ford in 1979 and 1981 held a variety of positions, beginning in product development and on the financial staff, a grooming ground for future executives. He served verschillende years as a mid-ranking executive in product development. He’ll be briefly headed the Climate Control Division (since divested from the company as part of the Visteon spinoff). At the time of the Ford 2000 reorganization, he was in charge of heavy truck operations.

Corporate governance

Ford gave up an executive position in heavy truck program management to Become chairman of the finance committee on the Board of Directors , a non-executive corporate governance position. He was elected Chairman of the Board in September 1998 and took office on January 1, 1999. Ford added the title of Chief Executive Officer on October 30, 2001-following the ouster of then-CEO Jacques Nasser . That ouster reflected significant differences in corporate values-Nasser dealing maximizing corporate profits and shareholder value, while Ford was noted for valuing people and tradition. With the Retirement or Ford President and Chief Operating Officer Jim Padilla in April 2006, Bill Ford Assumed Those roles as well. ^[6] On September 5, 2006, Ford announced dat he was stepping down as President and CEO, naming former Boeing senior executive Alan Mulally as his replacement. Ford Continues as the Company’s Executive Chairman. ^[2]

At the time of his stepping down, Ford was ranked 264TH on Forbes ‘ list of top-earning CEOs, at $ 10,000,000.00 per year. ^{[7] [8]}

Business developments

In 2000, he announced dat de company mention anything beste a 25% improvement in fuel efficiency in the company’s light truck fleet, zoals SUVs, at mid-decade. ^{[ Citation needed ]} That commitment proved to be impractical, bepaald consumer preference for heavy towing capacity and large, powerful engines in trucks hun; the company announced in 2003 dat competitive market conditions and technologische and cost challenges mention anything preventable it from Achieving the goal. ^{[ Citation needed ]} Ford terminated zijn ongoing electric vehicle program as impractical and unaffordable from a profitable business standpoint. ^{[ Citation needed ]} Some environmentalists ^{[ who? ]}Questioned Bill Ford and the company’s commitment to environmental groups, and others pointed to Ford Motor Company’s continued marketing of the fuel-thirsty SUVs as evidence of an other-than-green corporate agenda. ^{[ Citation needed ]} Ford’s position is dat for the company to Remain profitable and competitive (and Remain in business), it must supply what customers demand. ^{[ Citation needed ]} During 2006, there was an unexpectedly large swing in consumer demand away from pickups and SUVs to smaller cars and crossover vehicles, due to rapid increases as in gasoline prices, and Ford Motor Company were largely unprepared for zoals a sudden shift in demand . ^{[ Citation needed ]}

Under Bill Ford’s direction, Ford Motor Company made technologische progress toward Improving fuel efficiency, introduced of the Hybrid Electric Escape , the musts fuel efficient SUV on the market, Achieving 36 mpg (EPA) in city driving. ^[9] The Escape’s platform mates Mercury Mariner and Mazda Tribute are ook Scheduled not to receive hybrid-electric POWERTRAIN options, Along with other upcoming vehicles in the Ford product line waaronder the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan . Ford announced dat half of the vehicle lineup will be available with advanced hybrid-electric power plant options in 2010 hoewel de the Company’s earlier pledge to build 250,000 hybrid vehicles a year by 2010 proved to be overly optimistic, and had to be abandoned. Ford ook Continues to study Fuel Cell -powered electric powertrains, and is demonstrating Currently Hydrogenation-fueled internal combustion engine technology, as well as ontwikkelingslanden the next-generation hybrid-electric systems. In addition under, to the Ford Escape, Hybrid Escape, Mercury Mariner, and Mazda Tribute, Ford Currently marketing high efficiency crossover SUVs zoals the Ford Freestyle , and the Volvo XC70 and Volvo XC90 . Ford is ook ontwikkelingslanden sporty new crossover SUVs, zoals the Ford Edge , Lincoln MKX , and Mazda CX-7 .

Ford has expanded zijn lineup of flexible-fuel vehicles , alternative fuel vehicles , and dual-fuel vehicles. Flexible fuel vehicles kan operate on a range of fuel Mixtures – zoals ethanol-gasoline blends ranging from pure gasoline to E85 (85% ethanol , 15% gasoline). Alternative fuel vehicles operate on non-petroleum Fuels, zoals methanol , compressed natural gas (CNG), propane , and Hydrogenation. Dual fuel vehicles algemeen have two fuel tanks – one for compressed natural gas or propane, and Another for regular gasoline – with a selector switch to choose tussen them. Vehicles using synthesis fueling alternatives are currently in test fleets, for example as taxis and shuttle buses, and some are or will soon be available for sale to the public. Ford is now committed to sell 250,000 alternative and flexible fuel vehicles – the Majority or welke will be designed to operate on ethanol-gasoline blends zoals E85 – in 2006. ^[10]

Speaking at conference in November 2000 in London Ford suggested dat the company ‘may one day offer a service where it owns vehicles and makes Them available to people als ze need access to them. ^[11]

Market competition, health care and raw material costs, led Ford to announce a second restructuring voor zijn North American operations in four years. Ford’s restructuring plan, dubbed ” The Way Forward “, reversed a $ 1.6 billion loss in 2009, ITT prolongation North American operations. The company Returned to profitability in 2010. ^[12]

Fontinalis Partners

Bill Ford has leg a vocal advocate for improvements to be made in all modes of transportation worldwide. Bill Ford has stated therein Governments and private industry will need to Rethink transportation infrastructure and technology as the global population expands and the bestaande infrastructure is Unable to keep pace. ^[13] In January 2010, Bill Ford announced the launch of a strategic investment firm, fontinalis Partners, with the purpose or Investing in innovative companies ontwikkelingslanden next generation mobility solutions. Bill Ford co-founded the firm with Ralph Booth (Chairman and CEO of Booth American Company and successful media and telecom investor), Mark Schultz (former head of Ford Motor Company’s international operations), Chris Cheever, and Chris Thomas. ^[14]

Personal life

Ford is married to Lisa Vanderzee Ford, and they ‘port four children, all living in Ann Arbor, Michigan . ^{[ Citation needed ]}

Trivia

Ford became widely Berninahaus als have been serving as the new Chairman of the Board. On February 1, 1999-when the Ford Rouge Powerhouse had an explosion therein killed verschillende Ford employees, Bill Ford rejected the ideas or his advisers and rushed to the scene from the nearby Ford World Headquarters . One of his staff cautioned, “Generals do not go out to the front lines.” Ford’s retort: “Then bust me down to private.” Ford stopped and watch an account of the explosion to roadside television crews. ^[15]

Volgens to news reports, Ford “is a tae kwon do blackbelt, a vegan ^[16] and a folk guitar player.” Ford ook plays on the company hockey team and has won in hun division at the 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010 USA Hockey Pond Hockey National Championships in Eagle River, Wisconsin . ^{[ Citation needed ]}

Ford ook is Vice-President of the Detroit Lions football team, Chairman of the Detroit Economic Club, and Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Trustees of The Henry Ford Museum. He’ll be is a Vice-President or Detroit Renaissance and a member of the Board of Directors or eBay Inc. ^{[ Citation needed ]}

In 2000, Ford was Cited to be worth around $ 2.8 billion based on the company’s high stock price; however, today Ford’s stake in in the company is valued lower. ^{[ Citation needed ]}

In 2009, Ford was featured in the IFTA nominated ^[17] Canadian-Irish docudrama Death or Canada . Ford Gives insight into tje trials his family faced als ze fled Ireland in 1847, at the height of the An Gorta Mor or Great Hunger , making hun way to the United States through Canada , as many Irish immigrants of the time did.

In 2011, Ford was inducted JSON Irish America magazine ‘s Hall of Fame . ^[18]

References