2010 Automotive News All-Stars -- Automotive News Photo Gallery

BACK TO: Automotive News Home | Photos Home

2010 Automotive News All-Stars

<< First | < Previous | 19 of 25 | Next > | Last >>

In the past year, the industry has endured bankruptcies, the death of brands, massive recalls by Toyota Motor Corp. and a still-shaky sales recovery. Through it all, some individuals didn’t just survive; they thrived. We unveil our annual Automotive News All-Stars, leaders who set the pace in tough times. Ford Motor Co. placed 10 individuals on our list — including CEO Alan Mulally, who is our Industry Leader of the Year for 2010.

FINANCE: Lewis Booth

CFO, Ford Motor Co.

No Chapter 11 -- but lots of debt: Unlike its crosstown rivals, Ford avoided a trip to U.S. Bankruptcy Court in 2009. The company did so by pre-emptively borrowing $23 billion against its assets. Ford didn't expect to make a profit until 2011 but beat that target when it earned $2.1 billion in the first quarter of 2010. "It would be unwise to think of $2 billion as a running rate," Booth cautioned in late April, citing the cost of launching new products. Beyond the product offensive, Booth, 61, knows the company faces another challenge: whittling down debt that totals $27 billion even after Ford trimmed that by more than $7 billion in the second quarter. Ford's competitors, which shed debt while in Chapter 11, don't carry that burden.