William Clay Ford, Jr., is taking over as CEO of his great-granddaddy’s company, following the resignation today of Jacques Nasser. The changing of the guard at the Ford Motor Company could mean that environmentalists will gain an even more powerful ally in traditionally enemy territory; the younger Ford has a reputation for being unusually eco-friendly for an auto maven. In the past, as chair of Ford (a position he will continue to fill), Ford urged the company to begin issuing an annual “corporate citizenship report,” the first of which in 2000 admitted loud and clear that SUVs are bad for the environment and contribute to global warming. (Ford has also jokingly referred to the 19-foot-long Excursion as the “Ford Valdez.”) None of that is what got Ford his current job, of course; company reps hope the shakeup will help shake off recent financial woes.
