Mark Fields (businessman)

For other uses, see Mark Fields (disambiguation).
Mark Fields

Mark Fields, 2014
Born January 24, 1961 (1961-01-24) (age 55)
Brooklyn, New York, USA
Residence Dearborn, Michigan, USA
Citizenship United States
Alma mater Rutgers University
Harvard University
Occupation President and Chief Executive Officer, Ford Motor Company
Spouse(s) Jane Fields
Children 3

Mark Fields (born January 24, 1961[1]) is an American businessman and has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of Ford Motor Company since July 1, 2014. Fields served as chief executive officer of Mazda from 1999 to 2002 during the period when Ford controlled Mazda, and was the chief operating officer for Ford Motor Company. Prior to that, as Ford's President of the Americas, Fields developed "The Way Forward" plan. He succeeded Alan Mulally as the company's President and CEO. Fields is the first Jewish CEO of a Detroit Three automobile manufacturer.[2]

Early life, education, and family

Fields was born in Brooklyn, New York to Gerald S. Fields, a purchasing manager, and Elinor Fields.[3] Fields is of Romanian Jewish and Russian Jewish descent,[2] and the Fields family original name was Finkelman.[4] Fields grew up in Paramus, New Jersey, where he attended Paramus High School, graduating in 1979.[5] Fields holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Rutgers University and a Masters in Business Administration from Harvard;[6] he worked for IBM prior to earning his MBA.[7] He is married to Jane Fields and has two sons, Max and Zach Fields. During his tenure at Mazda, Fields was the first Jewish CEO of a major automobile manufacturer outside of France.

Career in business

Fields was recruited by Ford in 1989 and moved up the ranks. He ran Ford's Argentina operations at the age of 36.[6] He became the youngest person (at 38) ever to run a major Japanese company when Ford placed him in charge of Mazda Motor Corporation in 1998. In 2002, Fields became chairman of the Premier Automotive Group, Ford's luxury unit which at the time included Lincoln, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo Cars. He returned to the United States to head the Americas division of the company in October 2005. In a December 14, 2006, announcement made by Alan Mulally (Chief Executive of Ford Motor Company), Mark Fields, at 45, was named business unit chief of Ford Motor Company's Americas operations. This is an attempt to make the company leaner and more centrally driven in areas such as product development, purchasing and engineering.

On November 1, 2012, Ford announced the appointment of Fields as its new chief operating officer.[8] He was named the President and CEO of Ford effective July 1, 2014, succeeding Alan Mulally. [9][10]

Notes

  1. ↑ "Biographical details of Ford’s new CEO". The Washington Post. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  2. 1 2 Carroll, Bill. "Historic Promotion". Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  3. ↑ Newman, Richard. "Mark Fields: From Paramus to the helm of Ford Motor Co.". Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  4. ↑ "Ford’s new CEO is Jewish". Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  5. ↑ Diduch, Amry. "Paramus native tapped as next head of Ford", The Record (Bergen County), November 2, 2012. Accessed December 7, 2012. "Mark Fields, a native of Paramus and a graduate of Rutgers University, now is in line to be the next chief executive officer of Ford Motor Co.... Fields got his first taste of leadership at Paramus High School. Fields, who graduated in 1979, was active in student government, serving as vice president his senior year, according to his high school yearbook."
  6. 1 2 Bennett, Jeff; Ramsey, Mike (April 22, 2014). "Ford Boss Reinvented Himself". The Wall Street Journal. p. B6.
  7. ↑ Webster, Sarah A. "SAVING FORD HIS JOB 1 - WAY FORWARD: MORE PROBLEMS THAN EXPECTED SETBACKS: PICKUPS AND OTHER U.S. SALES OFF WORKING TO BE PROFITABLE BY 2009", Detroit Free Press, February 25, 2007. Accessed January 30, 2011. "That mix of Paramus High, Rutgers University, Zeta Psi and IBM worked like magic for the Fields boys."
  8. ↑ Vlasic, Bill. "Ford Names an Operating Officer Who Is Seen as a Possible New Chief", The New York Times, November 1, 2012. Accessed December 7, 2012. "Ford Motor Company said on Thursday that its chief executive, Alan R. Mulally, would keep his position until 2014, but that Mark Fields, the head of its Americas division, would become chief operating officer and assume day-to-day responsibility for running the business."
  9. ↑ Ramsey, Mike (April 22, 2014). "Ford Boss Mulally To Exit Early". The Wall Street Journal. p. A1.
  10. ↑ Ramsy, Mark; Pollock, Lauren (May 1, 2014). "Ford Names Mark Fields as CEO". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 1 May 2014.

External links

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Business positions
Preceded by
Alan Mulally		 Chief Executive Officer of the Ford Motor Company
2014–present 		Incumbent
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