Ford's Ambitious CEO Focused on the Future

PEKIN, Ill.,–– Near the end of May, Ford replaced then-CEO Mark Fields with Jim Hackett, a former CEO of Steelcase, a Michigan-based company with a design-centric background. This summer, he began a 100-day review of the company, and in a recent interview, promised that he has "some things that are going to be coming out in the fall". With Ford's ambitious CEO focused on the future, Ford vehicle owners stand to benefit from these dynamic changes as Ford continues to develop innovations for all of their vehicles and vehicle technology.

Hackett's biggest plans revolve around revolutionizing vehicle technology and benefits other than the popular internal-combustion engines Ford vehicles are known for. His goal is to produce modern and efficient electric and self-driving vehicles, while also offering micro-transit services like Chariot to customers looking to catch a quick and easy ride across the city. After his 100-day review of Ford's business operations, he mentioned that he wants to improve and speed up the decision-making process in the corporate end to provide Ford's customers with new and modern technology at a quicker rate.

His biggest addition to Ford, however, has been the introduction of his three precepts that helped him achieve success when he ran Steelcase. These innovation-oriented precepts are as follows:

"1. Change isn’t so much good as inevitable.

Hackett played football for famed Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler, and he’s fond of quoting Bo, who believed, “we would either get better at what we do, or we would get worse. We would not stay the same.”

2. Focus on users, and products will follow.

Ford sponsors Motivate’s bike-sharing service in San Francisco, and despite being in the car business, it has searched for insights, with design consultant IDEO, on self-propelled locomotion.

3. Be open-minded.

Hackett says Ford needs to think beyond cars.
For example, he’s studying urban congestion woes, including parking, for opportunities: “If you fix parking you might change the way people actually move themselves around.”" - Fortune

With Ford's ambitious CEO focused on the future, innovative and new products are set to hit the market in the near future. Make sure to check in on our new vehicle inventory to see our selection of new vehicles Ford has to offer this year. You can view features, technology, and more on our Model Overview page to find a vehicle perfect for your needs. Interested in purchasing a used vehicle? Consider the benefits of purchasing a Certified Pre-Owned vehicle as you browse our used vehicle inventory. You'll discover the process in which a vehicle becomes CPO-certified.

At Velde Ford, we're committed to providing our customers with an unbeatable level of service and a great car buying experience. Stop by the dealership located at 2200 North 8th Street, Pekin, IL 61554 or visit our website: VeldeFordPekin.com for more information.

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