Following earlier rumours, Ford Motor Company has officially named Jim Hackett (pictured below) as its new president and CEO, relieving Mark Fields of his duties.
The US brand also announced other “key global leadership changes designed to further strengthen its core automotive business and accelerate a strategic shift to capitalise on emerging opportunities”.
The 62-year-old Hackett previously served as CEO of Steelcase, and has been executive chairman of Ford Smart Mobility since March 2016.
Reporting to executive chairman Bill Ford, Hackett will lead Ford’s worldwide operations and 202 000 employees globally. He succeeds the 56-year-old Fields, who the official statement said “has elected to retire from Ford after a successful 28-year career with the company”.
“We’re moving from a position of strength to transform Ford for the future,” Bill Ford said.
“Jim Hackett is the right CEO to lead Ford during this transformative period for the auto industry and the broader mobility space. He’s a true visionary who brings a unique, human-centred leadership approach to our culture, products and services that will unlock the potential of our people and our business.”
Ford also announced a new structure for its operations and named three new leaders reporting to Hackett: Jim Farley has been appointed executive vice president and president for global markets; Joe Hinrichs has been named executive vice president and president for global operations; and Marcy Klevorn takes the role of executive vice president and president for mobility.
