Alan Mulally, the former Ford Motor Company CEO who was rumored to join Microsoft last year, has landed at rival Google’s board.
Mulally, who retired as Ford’s CEO on July 1, became the 11th member of Google’s board on July 9. It is for the first time since 2005 that a new member was added to the board. Mulally will serve on the board’s audit committee, but many people will no doubt wonder if his move has anything to do with Google’s plans with autonomous cars.
Alan Mulally is also a former Boeing executive, bringing to Google expertise in both the auto and aviation industries as the tech giant is expanding into self-driving cars, infotainment systems for cars and delivering Internet access from drones and satellites.
According to a person familiar with discussions cited by the Wall Street Journal, Google courted Mulally for several months. The executive said in late 2012 that Microsoft and Google were the only companies he would be interested in leading after quitting Ford.
What exactly Mulally will do at Google is not clear yet, but the tech giant definitely needs his experience for its autonomous car venture and the implementation and expansion of its Android mobile operating system into existing cars. Ford is among more than 20 automakers and brands that are planning new cars with Android Auto built in.
By Dan Mihalascu
PHOTO GALLERY
