“A guy you want in a foxhole with you.”
“He’s not just a futurist, he’s a very good operative executive,” said William
Ford Jr., right, introducing Jim Hackett, the automaker’s new chief executive.
“He had a lot of respect for Bo, and a lot of people in Michigan connected to that,” said James P.
Keane, who worked with Mr. Hackett for 17 years at Steelcase and succeeded him as chief executive.
“Without Jim Hackett, there’s no Jim Harbaugh,” said John U. Bacon, author of best-selling books on Michigan football.
He’s a very good operating executive.”
Mr. Hackett has said those qualities stem from his days as an offensive lineman on Michigan football teams in the 1970s
and the influence of the team’s renowned coach, Bo Schembechler.
In February 2016, Ford directors visited several Silicon Valley companies, and Mr. Ford was impressed by how many executives knew Mr. Hackett well.
On Monday, Ford announced Mr. Hackett, 62, as its chief executive, saying he would
be able to reshape the company to compete in the next generation of automobiles.
