Ford Motor Company president and CEO Alan Mulally speaks at UDM

Mulally was named President and CEO of Ford Motor Company on September 5, 2006, succeeding William Clay Ford, Jr., who remains as Executive Chairman of the company's Board of Directors. As the new president, he was instrumental in the company's first profitable quarter over the past two years. By overseeing cost-cutting methods, creating new excitement with the Ford brand and reviving the popular Taurus, he has been able to increase FordMotor Company's market share.

After graduation in 1969, Mulally began his career as an engineer at The Boeing Company, moved up as president of Boeing Commercial Airplanes and was promoted to the company's executive vice president. During his lengthy career with Boeing, Mulally was credited with reviving the company in the mid-2000's and was named by Aviation Week & Space Technology 2006's "Person of theYear." BusinessWeek magazine named him one of " The Best Leaders of 2005".

The auto executive earned his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from University of Kansas and received a master's degree in managementa s a Sloan Fellow from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Recently, Mulally has held positions on the advisory boards of MIT, University of Washington, University of Kansas, NASA and the U.S. Air Force Scientific Advisory Board. He is a current member of United States National Academy of Engineering and a fellow of England's Royal Academy of Engineering. He also serves on Ford's Board of Directors.

"We are extremely pleased to welcome such an accomplished leader in the business world to speak to our students," says Hriday Prasad, director of UDM's masters degrees in Product Development (MPD) and Engineering Management (MEM). "It is an honor to have Alan Mulally speak one-on-one for an intimate classroom experience at the University," he added.

As of March 20, the event guest list is full.

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The University of Detroit Mercy is Michigan's largest private Catholic University, offering approximately 100 majors and programs in 60 academic fields. Sponsored by the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) and the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, the University has three campuses located in downtown and northwest Detroit.

UDM was ranked among the top tier of Midwestern master's universities in U.S.News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" – 2009 edition.  UDM was also rated one of the top 15 institutions in the "Great Schools, Great Prices" category.

Publish date: February 13, 2008