John Lawler in

John Lawler

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Chair Knox College Board of Trustees at Knox College
📍 Dearborn, Michigan, United States

John Lawler is the Vice Chair of Ford Motor Company, where he guides enterprise strategy, global partnerships, and long-term business transformation. With over 30 years at Ford, his previous roles as CFO and CEO of Ford China provided him extensive international and financial leadership experience. He holds an MBA from the University of Iowa.

Deeply committed to his alma mater, John serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees for Knox College, where he was a first-generation student and a letterwinner on the football team. This dedication to transformative education highlights his personal values. He and his wife, Inga, have three children.

An avid car enthusiast, his preferred personal vehicle is a 2015 anniversary edition Ford Mustang.

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Current Role
Chair Knox College Board of Trustees
Location
Dearborn, Michigan, United States
Personality Overview

How John shows up

Communication Style
Decision Approach
Work Preference

Behavioral traits and communication patterns that shape how this person evaluates opportunities, builds trust, and makes decisions in professional settings.

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Priorities

Topics John cares about

EV Profitability
He frequently discusses adjusting Ford's EV and hybrid roadmap to ensure new models are profitable within 12 months of launch, balancing innovation with financial discipline.
Future of Mobility
His previous role as CEO of Ford Autonomous Vehicles and current focus on strategy show a deep interest in driverless services, partnerships, and new ownership models.
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Career

Work history

5-2025
Chair Knox College Board of Trustees
Knox College
2-2025
Vice Chair
Ford Motor Company
5-2024 - 2-2025
Vice Chair and Chief Financial Officer
Ford Motor Company
10-2020 - 5-2024
Chief Financial Officer
Ford Motor Company
12-2019 - 10-2020
CEO Ford Autonomous Vehicles LLC and Vice President, Mobility Partnerships
Ford Motor Company
In the press

Media appearances

John Lawler ’88 – Feature Article. Featured in Knox College Magazine (Summer/Fall 2025)
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John Lawler: Meeting Every Moment With a Growth Mindset. Featured in Knox College Magazine (Spring 2021)
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Education
1988 - 1990
MBA
University of Iowa
1984 - 1988
BA
Knox College
Social presence
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Behavioral profile

DISC profile (public)

DISC behavioral profile

Dominance, influence, steadiness, and calculativeness scores with guidance on how this person prefers to communicate and decide.

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