Age, Biography and Wiki
Donald Petersen is a 97-year-old American businessman who was born on 4 September, 1926 in Pipestone, Minnesota, U.S. He is best known for his tenure as the Chairman and CEO of Ford Motor Company from 1985 to 1990.
Petersen attended the University of Minnesota, where he earned a degree in business administration. After college, he joined Ford Motor Company in 1949 as a financial analyst. He rose through the ranks and eventually became the company's president in 1980. In 1985, he was appointed Chairman and CEO of the company, a position he held until 1990.
During his tenure at Ford, Petersen was credited with turning the company around and making it profitable again. He was also instrumental in the development of the Ford Taurus, which became one of the most successful cars of the 1980s.
Petersen retired from Ford in 1990 and has since served on the boards of several companies, including General Motors, IBM, and the Mayo Clinic. He is also a member of the National Academy of Engineering.
Petersen has an estimated net worth of $50 million.
| Popular As |
N/A |
| Occupation |
Businessman |
| Age |
98 years old |
| Zodiac Sign |
Virgo |
| Born |
4 September, 1926 |
| Birthday |
4 September |
| Birthplace |
Pipestone, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Nationality |
United States |
We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 4 September.
He is a member of famous businessman with the age 98 years old group.
Donald Petersen Height, Weight & Measurements
At 98 years old, Donald Petersen height not available right now. We will update Donald Petersen's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible.
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Not Available |
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Not Available |
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Not Available |
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Dating & Relationship status
He is currently single. He is not dating anyone. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. According to our Database, He has no children.
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| Parents |
Not Available |
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Not Available |
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Not Available |
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Not Available |
Donald Petersen Net Worth
His net worth has been growing significantly in 2022-2023. So, how much is Donald Petersen worth at the age of 98 years old? Donald Petersen’s income source is mostly from being a successful businessman. He is from United States. We have estimated
Donald Petersen's net worth
, money, salary, income, and assets.
| Net Worth in 2023 |
$1 Million - $5 Million |
| Salary in 2023 |
Under Review |
| Net Worth in 2022 |
Pending |
| Salary in 2022 |
Under Review |
| House |
Not Available |
| Cars |
Not Available |
| Source of Income |
businessman |
Donald Petersen Social Network
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Timeline
In the years since, Ford contributed major managerial resources to and several times recapitalized Jaguar with no subsequent return of investment. Ford eventually divested itself of the Jaguar asset on June 2, 2008. Today, Jaguar is quite profitable. He was succeeded by Harold "Red" Poling.[1]
Petersen has, at various times, held director-level board positions at The Boeing Company, starting in 1997, Dow Jones & Co., the Hewlett-Packard Company, Capital Research and Management Company (mutual funds), Axicon Technologies, Juran Center for Leadership in Quality (Member, Exec. Advisory Board), College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Washington (President, Advisory Board) and Long Shadows Vintners. A portrait of Petersen, painted by artist Michele Rushworth hangs in the Petersen Room in the Allen Library at the University of Washington.
Petersen's relationship with members of the founding Ford family became strained after he opposed the nomination of founder Henry Ford's great-grandsons, Edsel Bryant Ford II ("Edsel") and William Clay Ford Jr. ("Billy", "Bill Jr.", and later just "Bill") to certain committees of the board of Ford in the wake of the death of family patriarch and former Ford chairman & CEO Henry Ford II in 1987. Petersen's primary motivation was to permit more time to pass before a decision was made concerning the futures of the two young Fords. The widening of this schism later cut short Petersen's tenure at Ford, after a high-profile and public disagreement spilled over into the press regarding differences in strategic direction between Petersen and the members of the Ford family.
Donald E. Petersen stepped down as President, and became chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Ford Motor Company on February 1, 1985. Hailed a "Most Valuable Person" of 1988 by USA Today and "CEO of the Year" by Chief Executive magazine in 1989, Petersen transformed Ford with his inclusive, team-oriented management style.
Donald E. Petersen joined Ford in 1949 after receiving his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Prior to his election as chairman, Petersen was President and COO (chief operating officer) from March 13, 1980. He was a member of the board of directors from September 8, 1977 until his retirement in February 1990.
Petersen was famously known for instructing the Ford design staff to design vehicles they would be proud to buy and park in their own driveways. An example of this is when Petersen asked Ford Vice President of Design Jack Telnack of the 1980 Thunderbird: "is this what you would want in your driveway?". The negative response by Telnack prompted the company to request the Thunderbird be restyled completely. This watershed event culminated in the redesign of the ninth-generation Thunderbird, which marked the introduction of highly aerodynamic body design to Ford vehicles in North America (reducing its drag coefficient from 0.50 to 0.35), followed by similarly designed model lines, including the 1984 Ford Mustang SVO, 1984 Ford Tempo, 1986 Ford Aerostar, and 1986 Ford Taurus. The redesign of the Thunderbird became a groundbreaking and wildly successful design which pulled Ford out of its financial doldrums of the early 1980s and provided the motivation and profit which carried Ford for the next decade.
Petersen and his wife, Jo Anne, reside in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan; Seattle, Washington; and Montecito, California. They have two children, Leslie Price (who was born in 1956), and Donald L. Petersen (who was born in 1958). Leslie Price has a daughter named Joanne Price. In 2006, he recommended Alan Mulally of Boeing to Bill Ford, Jr. for the position of CEO/President at Ford Motor Company.
Donald Eugene Petersen was born in Pipestone, Minnesota. Petersen served in the U.S. Marine Corps in World War II and the Korean War. He received his B.S./M.E. from the University of Washington in 1946. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity.
Donald Eugene Petersen (born September 4, 1926) is an American businessman who was employed by the Ford Motor Company for 40 years, most notably as its chief executive officer from 1985 to 1990.
