Wichita, Kan – September 17, 2007 – Alan Mulally, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ford Motor Co., will be the “Keynote Speaker” October 22 at BG Products Inc. 2007 International Distributors Convention in Maryland.
“We are delighted to have someone of Alan’s ability and accomplishments speak with our worldwide Distributors,” states Galen Myers, chairman of the Wichita, Kansas-based Automotive Lubricants Company. “We serve a common customer. BG supplies automotive services to the Ford family of auto dealerships around the world, for the benefit of consumers. BG Products and its 89 National and International Distributors look forward to meeting with Alan Mulally and learning more about Ford Motor Company’s plans for the future.”
Mulally was appointed to the top Ford post in September 2006 from the Boeing Company where he was Executive Vice President and President and Chief Executive Officer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
On the anniversary of his first year at Ford, BusinessWeek said, “The relentlessly upbeat chief still has a rough ride ahead of him. But it’s tough to argue that he doesn’t have the struggling automaker on the right path.”
Since Mulally has come to Ford, the company says it has achieved $1.1 billion in cost savings, $600 million in the second quarter of 2007. Sales in Europe are up five percent and are up 22 percent in China.
Motor Trend magazine points out that reducing complications is Mulally’s mantra. He has turned a laser-like focus on four elements of his transformation: right-sizing the company to operate profitably at reduced demand levels; accelerating development of new products and services; securing the financing to do both those things; and getting buy-in from stakeholders as diverse as staff, dealers, and the United Auto Workers union.
He graduated from Lawrence (KS) High School in 1963. He received a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Kansas and masters in management from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
He started his successful career at Boeing in 1969; Alan has been Vice President of Engineering, and Vice President and General Manager of the New 777 program.
Mulally has been recognized for his contributions and industry leadership, including being named one of “The Best Leaders of 2005” by BusinessWeek magazine for streamlining Boeing’s production system and transforming the company’s commercial airplanes product line.