List of leaders of Ford Motor Company

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CEOs and Chairmen

The position of CEO and Chairman have been assumed as a single position, unless noted (CEOs who were not Chairman were generally President at the time). Since 2006, the role of President has been absorbed into the role of Executive Chairman. [1]

Contents

CEO and Chairman of Ford Motor Company
No.NameTook officeLeft officeRole
1 John S. Gray 19031906CEO
2 Henry Ford [2] 19061945CEO
3 Henry Ford II [2] 19451979CEO
Ernest R. Breech [2] 19551960Chairman
Henry Ford II [3] 1960March 13, 1980Chairman
4 Philip Caldwell [4] [5] 1979February 1, 1985CEO
Philip Caldwell [3] [4] [5] March 13, 1980February 1, 1985Chairman
5 Donald Petersen [5] [6] February 1, 1985March 1, 1990CEO and Chairman
6 Harold Arthur Poling [6] March 1, 19901993CEO and Chairman
7 Alexander Trotman November 1993December 31, 1998CEO and Chairman
8 Jacques Nasser [7] January 1, 19992001CEO
William Clay Ford Jr. January 1, 1999September 5, 2006Chairman
9William Clay Ford Jr. [8] October 30, 2001September 5, 2006CEO
William Clay Ford Jr. [8] September 5, 2006PresentExecutive Chairman
10 Alan Mulally September 5, 2006July 1, 2014CEO
11 Mark Fields July 1, 2014May 22, 2017CEO
12 James Hackett May 22, 2017September 30, 2020CEO
13 Jim Farley [9] October 1, 2020PresentCEO

Presidents

The President of Ford Motor Company was a role at the company from 1903 to 2006, with three noted vacancies after Semon Knudsen was fired in 1969, after two vice-chairmen were appointed in 1987, and Philip Benton Jr's retirement on January 1, 1993. [10] [11] [12] The title of President has not been assumed since the retirement of Jim Padilla in 2006 and the shifting of the role's responsibilities to Chief Executive Chairman, William Clay Ford, Jr. [1]

President of Ford Motor Company
No.NameTook officeLeft officeNotes
1 John S. Gray [13] June 17, 1903October 22, 1906
2 Henry Ford [13] October 22, 1906January 1, 1919
3 Edsel Ford [13] January 1, 1919May 26, 1943
4Henry Ford [13] May 26, 1943September 21, 1945
5 Henry Ford II [13] September 21, 1945November 9, 1960
6 Robert McNamara [13] November 9, 1960January 1, 1961The first non-Ford family member to be president. Left to become Secretary of Defense after just two months.
7John Dykstra [13] January 1, 1961May 1, 1963
8 Arjay Miller [13] May 1, 1963February 6, 1968
9 Semon Knudsen [13] [14] February 6, 1968September 1969
Office vacant September 1969 – December 10, 1970
Robert Hampson [10] 19691970President of Non-Automotive
Robert Stevenson [10] 19691970President of Automotive International
Lee Iacocca [10] 19691970President of Automotive North America
10Lee Iacocca [10] [13] [15] [14] December 10, 1970July 13, 1978
11 Philip Caldwell [3] [16] October 16, 1978March 13, 1980
12 Donald Petersen [3] [13] March 13, 1980February 1, 1985
13 Harold Arthur Poling [5] [13] [11] February 1, 1985October 13, 1987
Office vacant October 13, 1987 – 1990
14Philip Benton [12] 1990January 1, 1993
Office vacant January 1, 1993 – 1999
15 Jacques Nasser [2] 19992001
16 William Clay Ford, Jr. [2] [13] 20012001
17Nick Schelle [17] October 20012004President and COO
17Nick SchelleApril 2004February 2005President
18Jim Padilla [1] February 20052006President and COO

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