Bill Ford is the Executive Chair of Ford Motor Company, leading the company that put the world on wheels 122 years ago into the future. He joined the Board of Directors in 1988 and has been its Chair since 1999.
Since joining the company in 1979, he has held various positions in manufacturing, sales, marketing, product development, and finance. In addition to his duties as Chair, he served as Chief Executive Officer of the company from 2001 to 2006.
Under his leadership, Ford Motor Company has advanced groundbreaking sustainability initiatives, accelerated efforts to be the most trusted provider of vehicle and mobility services, and taken aggressive steps to improve the efficiency and focus of its traditional automotive business.
In 2018, he championed the acquisition of the iconic Michigan Central building in Detroit’s historic Corktown neighborhood, which opened to the public in 2024. What was once a former railroad station is now the centerpiece of a vibrant new innovation campus where Ford and diverse partners are working on solving challenges at the intersection of mobility and society.
In 2024, Ford was named to the Automotive Hall of Fame and as Crain Detroit’s Newsmaker of the Year.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University and a Master of Science in Management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.