Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) CEO Alan Mulally is one of the most sought after CEOs in the corporate world. There have been reports that he has received offers from Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) and The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA). Last month, when asked if he is moving to Microsoft after the software giant’s CEO Steve Ballmer retires next year, Mulally denied media reports. Ford CEO said he loves “serving Ford”, and will not leave the automaker before his planned retirement at the end of 2014.
Ford CEO neither denies nor confirms
But during an auto conference in China’s Wuhan city, Mulally would neither deny nor confirm reports that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) and The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) have approached him to lead either of the respective companies. Alan Mulally is the third longest serving CEO of Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) after Henry Ford I and Henry Ford II, according to Reuters. Before joining the No.2 U.S. automaker in 2006, Alan Mulally served Boeing for 38 years. Serving as the CEO of Boeing Co. (NYSE:BA), Mulally helped the company beat its competitor Airbus by a distance with 777 jetliner.
Alan Mulally is particularly known for turning around troubled companies. And Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) badly needs a miraculous turnaround. PC sales are declining as customers shift to smartphones and tablets. The software maker hasn’t succeeded in the smartphone and tablet space. Its Bing search engine lags far behind Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) and Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO). Microsoft’s cloud operations are facing stiff competition from Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) and International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM).
Mulally penned Ford’s turnaround story
When Mulally joined Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F), its sales were falling and earnings worsening. He led the company through a multi-year restructuring plan. Ford sold its Jaguar and Land Rover brands in 2008, and Volvo in 2010. The company also slashed its ownership stake in Mazda. Alan Mulally wanted to focus entirely on Ford and Lincoln brands. He launched the “One Ford” program and sailed the company successfully through the financial crisis when major rivals General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) and Chrysler Group LLC filed for bankruptcy.
Today, Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) is in a healthy shape with rapidly growing sales. The company is boosting production to meet rising demands.
Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) shares were up 0.46% to $17.54 in pre-market trading. The stock is up 35.66% this year so far.
