10 Things You Didn’t Know about Ford Motor CEO James Hackett

James Hackett is the CEO of Ford Motors and is one of the best-known businessmen in the United States. He has been working at Ford since 2017 but he has already established his reputation by then. Here are ten things that you may not know about him.

1. He Has Irish Ancestry

Although he was born in Michigan he can trace his ancestry back to Ireland. His family came from both County Carlow and County Galway. He is proud of his Irish heritage and this is something that he has spoken openly about in the past.

2. He Attended The University Of Michigan

He has a Bachelors Degree in Finance which he gained from the University Of Michigan. This degree has proved very useful throughout his career, especially in his management roles. His current role involves making cuts across the board to increase Ford’s profits and this is something that he has had experience of throughout his career.

3. He Played Football During College

While he was at University he was a member of the football team. His position was center and he played in the team in every year that he was at college. He served on the Board for the athletics department at the University Of Michigan for a number of years where he oversaw the finances for the team.

4. He Started His Career At Proctor & Gamble

He left University in 1977 and started working at Proctor & Gamble. He had a sales position when he first joined the company before working his way up to a management role. He was only at this company for four years but it showed him that he was in the right career and this is something that he took with him when he moved on.

5. He Worked For Steelcase For Thirty Years

Steelcase is an office furniture business that is based in Michigan and James went to work here after leaving Proctor & Gamble. It is considered to be one of the leading businesses in this industry throughout the whole of the United States. He was only 39 years old when he became CEO and was the youngest person to ever hold this title in the company. Throughout his time at the head of the company, he managed to ensure that they were always profitable.

6. He Was On The Board Of Directors At Ford Before Becoming CEO

He served on the Board at Ford for a number of years before he was appointed CEO. He served on the Sustainability and Innovation Committee during this time and this is one of the reasons why he is so keen on continuing with innovation now he is CEO. He was also responsible for the formation of Ford Smart Mobility. This was a program that looks at self-driving cars amongst other things to ensure that Ford is able to compete with other companies that are looking to use this technology.

7. His Main Aim At Ford Is To Improve Profits

Ford has had to lay off large numbers of staff in many countries as their profits have been suffering in recent years. The company needs to save at least $3 billion in cost savings in order to get the profit back on track. Their share price was also declining before Hackett took over the role. It is still too early to see any long-term effects of the changes that he has made.

8. He Is Married With Two Children

James has been married to his wife Kathy for many years and they have two children together. He makes an effort to keep his personal life to himself and so he does not really discuss his marriage or his children in public.

9. He Lives In Grand Rapids

James is Michigan born and bred and he still lives there today. Michigan is certainly the place that he considers home and he still has a number of business interests in the state. Many people expect him to spend the rest of his life living in the state.

10. He Serves On A Number Of Boards

He has a number of interests outside of work and he serves on several different boards. This includes the board of the National Center for Arts and Technology and shows that he values the roles that he believes that these disciplines play as children grow up.