https://qz.com/1183375/ford-ceo-jim-hackett-on-the-future-of-computing-cities-and-self-driving-cars/

In May 2017, Ford announced that it had replaced its CEO, Mark Fields, who had been with the company since 1989, with Jim Hackett. Despite being on Ford’s board since 2013, Hackett was probably best known for leading Steelcase, the large office-furniture company, for decades and turning around its fortunes, as well as for working with the University of Michigan to bring NFL coach Jim Harbaugh to the school. Other than the fact that all these things are based in Michigan, there wasn’t really much that pointed to Hackett as the person who would lead the 114-year-old company into the future.

But his first few months at the helm have cemented his vision for Ford. Earlier this month he released a treatise doubling down on the company’s commitment to autonomous vehicles and the loosely defined concept of “mobility” and the “transport operating system” of the future. Still, he inherited a company plagued by old pains that required attention. Days before he started, Ford announced it would lay off 10% of its workforce in an effort to run more efficiently. Hackett has since said the company will likely trim down the number of car models Ford sells, as part of sweeping cost-cutting measures across the company.