Ford Motor Company

Automotive Manufacturing and Mobility ServicesFounded 1903- HQ today: Dearborn, Michigan

Leadership History

Ford: CEO History

5 leaders · 2001 to present

Who is the CEO of Ford?

Jim Farley is the CEO of Ford, in the role since 2020. The first chief executive was William Clay Ford Jr., from 2001.

Current CEO: Jim Farley (since 2020)
First CEO: William Clay Ford Jr. (2001)
Leaders documented: 5
Founded: 1903

Name	Role	From	To	Years in role
Jim Farley	President and Chief Executive Officer	2020	Present	6
Jim Hackett	President and CEO	2017	2020	3
Mark Fields	President and CEO	2014	2017	3
Alan Mulally	Former President and CEO	2006	2014	8
William Clay Ford Jr.	Chairman and CEO	2001	2006	5

Who was CEO of Ford before Jim Farley?: Jim Hackett was CEO of Ford from 2017 to 2020, before Jim Farley took over in 2020.

Company Overview

Ford Motor Company is one of the world's largest automakers, headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, with about 169,000 employees. Henry Ford's 1908 Model T and 1913 moving assembly line made it the company that defined mass production. Today Ford sells Ford and Lincoln vehicles in most major markets, but its economics center on North American trucks, SUVs, and commercial vehicles. CEO Jim Farley has run the company since 2020 and split reporting into Ford Blue, Ford Pro, and Ford Model e, which made the gap between profitable trucks and loss-making EVs visible to investors.

Jim Farley

President and Chief Executive Officer

2020 – Present

6 years (current)

Key Decisions & Impact

Appointed CEO in October 2020, Jim Farley immediately recognized that incremental change was insufficient for Ford to survive the rapid, industry-wide transition to electrification. He initiated the sweeping 'Ford+' strategy, making the radical decision to literally split the company's automotive operations into two distinct, separate businesses: 'Ford Blue' for traditional internal combustion engines and 'Ford Model e' for electric vehicles. This structural divorce was designed to isolate the cash-generating legacy business from the agile, tech-focused EV division, allowing the latter to operate with the speed and software-centric mindset of a Silicon Valley startup.

Legacy

Farley's aggressive, uncompromising leadership has forced a profound cultural and structural modernization at the 120-year-old automaker. While navigating severe pandemic-related supply chain disruptions and volatile raw material costs, he has accelerated Ford's EV development pipeline while simultaneously maximizing the profitability of the company's core commercial vehicle segment (Ford Pro). His willingness to challenge entrenched, legacy dealer models and advocate for direct-to-consumer, non-negotiable EV pricing demonstrates a clear commitment to transforming Ford into a modern mobility and technology platform.

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Jim Hackett

President and CEO

2017 – 2020

3 years

Key Decisions & Impact

Hackett became chief executive in 2017 and began a restructuring of Ford's global business, cutting costs and reducing the model range in some regions.

Legacy

Hackett launched the redesign of Ford operations before retiring in 2020, when Jim Farley became chief executive.

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Mark Fields

President and CEO

2014 – 2017

3 years

Key Decisions & Impact

Fields became chief executive in 2014 after Alan Mulally, and pushed Ford toward mobility services and autonomous vehicles.

Legacy

Ford announced investments in electric and autonomous vehicles during his tenure, and the board replaced him in 2017 with Jim Hackett.

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Alan Mulally

Former President and CEO

2006 – 2014

8 years

Key Decisions & Impact

Recruited from Boeing in 2006, Alan Mulally took control of a severely dysfunctional, heavily siloed Ford that was hemorrhaging cash and teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. He initiated the well-known 'One Ford' strategy, selling off non-core luxury brands (Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo) to focus the company's scarce resources entirely on the core blue-oval brand. He famously mandated the 'Working Together' management system, instituting mandatory weekly Business Plan Reviews (BPR) that forced notoriously combative executives to openly share data, admit failures without fear of retribution, and collaborate on global solutions.

Legacy

Mulally is universally recognized as the savior of the modern Ford Motor Company. By breaking down entrenched corporate fiefdoms and instilling a culture of radical transparency and operational discipline, he orchestrated one of the most remarkable corporate turnarounds in American history. Crucially, his decision to preemptively mortgage nearly all of the company's assets (including the well-known Blue Oval trademark itself) prior to the 2008 financial crash provided the essential liquidity that allowed Ford to survive the Great Recession without requiring a devastating, humiliating government bailout like its Detroit rivals.

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William Clay Ford Jr.

Chairman and CEO

2001 – 2006

5 years

Key Decisions & Impact

Bill Ford became chief executive in 2001 and led the company through falling sales and heavy losses in the mid-2000s.

Legacy

He handed the chief executive role to Alan Mulally in 2006 and remained executive chairman.

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Challenges & Strategic Context

Ford faces EV losses, warranty costs, tariff exposure, labor costs, capital intensity, cyclical vehicle demand, software execution risk, and competition from Toyota, Tesla, General Motors, Volkswagen, Stellantis, and Chinese automakers.

Ford CEO and Leadership FAQ

Who was Henry Ford and what was his major role as founding CEO?

Henry Ford founded Ford Motor Company in 1903 and served as CEO and driving force for decades. He transformed the global industrial economy by introducing the moving assembly line in 1913, creating the universal Model T, and instituting the $5-a-day wage in 1914, creating the modern American middle class.

How did Henry Ford II ('Hank the Deuce') rescue and rebuild Ford after World War II?

Henry Ford II took over leadership in 1945 at age 28, rescuing Ford from financial ruin and chaotic management. He hired the 'Whiz Kids' (military statistical experts, including Robert McNamara), took Ford public in a historic 1956 IPO, built the well-known Mustang (1964), and defeated Ferrari at Le Mans (1966).

What historic turnaround did Alan Mulally execute as CEO of Ford (2006 to 2014)?

Alan Mulally served as CEO from 2006 to 2014. Mulally executed the well-known 'One Ford' turnaround plan: securing $23.6 billion in financing before the 2008 financial crisis to avoid government bankruptcy bailouts, divesting luxury brands (Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo), and unifying global engineering.

What leadership transition took place under Mark Fields and Jim Hackett?

Mark Fields (CEO from 2014 to 2017) launched early mobility and autonomous vehicle investments. Jim Hackett (CEO from 2017 to 2020) restructured Ford's portfolio, making the bold decision to phase out traditional passenger sedans in North America to focus capital entirely on trucks, SUVs, and commercial vehicles.

When did Jim Farley become CEO of Ford and what is his background?

Jim Farley was appointed President and CEO of Ford in October 2020. A passionate automotive racer whose grandfather worked at Henry Ford's Rouge plant in 1918, Farley previously held senior leadership roles at Toyota (launching Scion) before spending 13 years leading global marketing, Europe, and new businesses at Ford.

What major strategic transformations has CEO Jim Farley executed?

CEO Jim Farley restructured Ford into the three customer-focused businesses (Ford Blue, Model e, Ford Pro), launched the F-150 Lightning and Bronco, secured the historic Tesla Supercharger partnership, formed the California skunkworks EV team, and returned Ford to Formula 1 with Red Bull Racing.

What role does Executive Chair William Clay Ford Jr. play in company governance?

Bill Ford Jr., Executive Chair since 1999, provides multigenerational leadership, champions environmental sustainability, safeguards the Ford family's controlling Class B voting shares, and partners closely with CEO Jim Farley on corporate strategy and community revitalizations (e.g., Michigan Central Station).

What management culture does CEO Jim Farley champion at Ford?

Jim Farley champions a culture of industrial craftsmanship, accountability, speed of execution, hands-on passion for vehicles ('car-guy ethos'), transparency in addressing warranty flaws, and treating software and electronics as core engineering disciplines.

Who is the CEO of Ford?

Jim Farley serves as CEO. Known for his aggressive, car-enthusiast personality, he massively restructured the company, splitting it into "Ford Blue" (gas cars) and "Ford Model e" (electric vehicles). Historically, Alan Mulally is considered their greatest modern CEO for saving the company from bankruptcy.

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