Donald J Trump isn’t the only old, American dude provocatively rocking the global boat. There’s another: Jimmy P Hackett. He spent years in detergent (Proctor & Gamble) before doing decades in office furniture (Steelcase Inc) where one of his best-known and most controversial claims to fame was his closure of us factories – before opening replacement plants in Mexico!
Advertisement – article continues below
Around 12,000 Steelcase jobs in America were cut as the Hackett man morphed into Jimmy The Hatchet. nothing personal, just business. After almost half a century working in washing powder and filing cabinets, Jimmy’s now 60-something and approaching the end of a long and lucrative career.
• best selling automobiles in the UK 2018
But before doing so, he’s having a last-minute dabble in another sector. despite being a comparative novice in the automobile game, he has in his old age decided to enter and learn from scratch. In effect he’s started and is still serving his automotive ‘apprenticeship’ at Ford. The newcomer’s job title? No big deal – he’s only the president and CEO of the Ford motor Company!
Annual compensation for the novice? around $16million (£11.8m or so). The Hackett saga took yet another bonkers turn at the end of last month, when he was still less than a year into his role as Ford President/CEO. He decreed that in north america at least, Ford’s future will be in trucks and commercial vehicles, and that automobiles are to be sidelined.