Menu
See all NewsEngineering News

Ford CEO to speak at 31st Annual William A. Patterson Transportation Lecture

Alan Mulally, president and chief executive officer of the Ford Motor Company, will give the 31st Annual William A. Patterson Transportation Lecture on Wednesday, April 18 at 7:30 pm in the Donald P. Jacobs Center.

The lecture, titled, ”The Ford Story,” is free and open to the public.

Throughout his career, Mulally has been recognized for his contributions and industry leadership, including being named "Businessperson of the Year" by the readers of Fortune magazine, "Industry Leader of the Year" by Automotive News magazine, one of “The World’s Most Influential People” by TIME magazine.


Mulally serves on the President's Export Council, which was formed in 2010 to advise U.S. President Barack Obama on export enhancement and ways to encourage companies to increase exports and enter new markets. He is a member of the United States National Academy of Engineering and a fellow of England’s Royal Academy of Engineering.


Prior to joining Ford in September 2006, Mulally served as executive vice president of the Boeing Company, and president and chief executive officer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. He holds bachelor’s and master’s of science degrees in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from the University of Kansas, and earned a master’s in management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a 1982 Alfred P. Sloan fellow.

The Patterson Transportation Lecture is an annual event supported by the Patterson Transportation Endowment, which was established at Northwestern in 1979 honoring the late William A. Patterson, founder and chief executive officer of United Airlines.

The lecture is hosted by the Northwestern University Transportation Center, an interdisciplinary education and research institution. The center is dedicated to the long-term improvement of global transportation and supply chain systems.