Alan Mulally, the man who saved Ford from a deep financial crisis and made it hugely successful again, has been named “2011 Chief Executive of the Year”.
Mulally totally deserves this title – awarded to him by Chief Executive magazine – because of what he did with what received when he accepted the keys to Ford. His effort are all the more remarkable when you realize that he did it without the need to government loans, unlike the other Detroit giants.
Nominations for CEO of the Year were garnered from among the 147,000 readers of Chief Executive magazine. The 10 most frequently cited nominations were evaluated and a winner voted upon at a meeting of a peer Selection Committee, which took place earlier this year in New York City. Prior CEO of the Year winners include Bill Gates, Jack Welch, Michael Dell, A.G. Lafley, John Chambers, Anne Mulcahy, Larry Bossidy, Andy Grove and Herb Kelleher.
Mulally’s selection as 2011 CEO of the Year will be celebrated at an invitation-only event hosted by NYSE Euronext and the Chief Executive Group at the New York Stock Exchange in July.
“The success he showed in the face of incredible difficulty was just extraordinary,” said James Turley, chairman and CEO, Ernst & Young and member of the 2011 Selection Committee. “The foresight he showed throughout the process, the courage he showed in making some tough decisions on popular brands, the global mindset he showed, and above all, the statesmanship he showed when two major competitors were on the public dole shows he was thinking for the good of the country as well as his company and industry.”
“The turnaround and triumph of Ford is an amazing success story, due largely to his talents, leadership and courage,” said Monsanto CEO Hugh Grant and 2010 CEO of the Year. “It’s a turnaround not only of an American icon but more importantly, a global icon, as well.”
“Mulally has created a leadership template for all of us to follow going forward for what growing a business in the United States is going to look like,” said Christine Jacobs, CEO of Theragenics.
picture: Time
