Ford CEO Mark Fields Gone

After taking a beating financially for some time, and taking a rhetorical beating by Trump before and after he entered office. Ford has given CEO Mark Fields the boot. The new guy in charge is Jim Hackett, former Steelcase CEO and most recently the executive chairman of Ford Smart Mobility LLC.

Obviously, Ford’s in the mood for a fresh perspective. Hackett’s worked in the automotive industry not even a full year. Considering the guy’s limited industry experience, it seems obvious the company is looking to forge ahead with autonomous and electrified cars. Ford also mentioned increased use of AI and robotics, which screams more automation in factories.

Interestingly, this isn’t the first ship Hackett has turned around. He’s the guy who was brought on to revive the University of Michigan’s football team, snagging Jim Harbaugh. Of course, that didn’t go so well, so yeah.

Officially, Ford says Hackett is retiring. We all know the truth of what that means.

With this shakeup comes a new boss for Lincoln. Jim Farley will be filling that role, plus is the new president of Global Markets. He was over Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and is a notorious car nut. The guy also has zero love for GM, plus a fiery mouth. This could get interesting. Maybe, just maybe Lincoln will start making some truly exciting cars.