Mulally to go from Ford

Alan Mulally, President of Boeing Commercial Aircraft from 1997 until 2005, is to retire from Ford Motor Co, where he has been the highly successful CEO since leaving Seattle.

The announcement has prompted an outpouring of tributes from many major publications, including Forbes, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post.  Mulally undoubtedly deserves the praise.  He turned around Ford, without resorting to a government bailout, against all the odds, and his management style is admired and has been copied worldwide.  At Boeing he always remembered a name, and gave a smile.  An engineer by training, he was a “proper aviation man”.  The 777 was his aircraft and he was a champion of point to point routes (rather than hub to hub).

Will he retire, or will his boundless energy find itself another outlet?  At 68 it does seem unlikely that he will spend too much time looking after the grandchildren.  Money is no problem.  With share options and pension he is said to be worth US$300m.  http://corporate.ford.com

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