• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

1

Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
TechData Sheet

Data Sheet: Ford’s New CEO Speaks, 40 Under 40, Apple CEO and Trump

By
Adam Lashinsky
Adam Lashinsky
and
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Adam Lashinsky
Adam Lashinsky
and
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 17, 2017, 9:57 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

I’m wary when companies use vague or overly broad words to describe major initiatives, especially involving technology. And so it was with wariness but also curiosity that I approached a first-time meeting Wednesday with Jim Hackett, the new CEO of Ford. He’s also the former CEO of Steelcase and, in between those two posts, a Ford board member and head of the venerable automaker’s “smart mobility” unit.

What exactly, I wondered, does Ford mean by mobility, a vague and overly broad term that makes me think of cell phones but might also pertain to movement among the social classes or a rehab patient’s progress? It turns out, says Hackett, that Ford thinks of mobility as a “catch-all” phrase that encompasses all non-traditional businesses. In other words, anything that doesn’t involve popping an internal-combustion engine into a vehicle and selling it, is a potential mobility product.

Mobility is sexy, but it doesn’t account for much of Ford’s revenue. And although Hackett’s predecessor, Mark Fields, got the boot for not having a coherent strategy, Ford already has made a handful of non-traditional moves. It’s a partner in a popular bike sharing program. And it operates Chariot, a “micro-transit” shuttle service in several U.S. cities.

Hackett sees his mission as positioning Ford for the day when most people live in cities and may or may not need their own car. He’s currently drafting a 100-day plan for Ford he plans to unveil in October. In the meantime, he says the company will consider a “smorgasbord” of options that involve moving people around. He hinted, for example, that Ford is looking closely at a “metered parking” business (a la startup SpotHero) and various “curb management” schemes.

Everything is on the table, he says, including ride-hailing, though he professes to be uninterested in owning a piece of Uber or Lyft. Right now Ford supplies those companies’ drivers, notes Hackett. If Ford were to own the service, “they’ll want a discount, and I don’t want to destroy our margins.”

Not destroying margins in the challenged car business is neither a vague nor overly broad goal, provided a detailed strategy follows.

Adam Lashinsky
@adamlashinsky
adam_lashinsky@fortune.com

NEWSWORTHY

The 40 Under 40 list is here! Fortune's yearly roundup of the most influential young leaders in business has arrived. You'll recognize familiar names, like Mark Zuckerberg and Evan Spiegel, and some surprise celebs, like Serena Williams. As usual, tech—the engine of today's economy—is very well represented.

TIME announces FIRSTS. Fortune's sister publication is preparing to debut a big multimedia project called FIRSTS that features candid interviews with 45 groundbreaking women, from Sheryl Sandberg to Oprah to Serena Williams (a 40 Under 40 lister). You can watch the trailer and find out more here.

Tim Cook criticizes Trump. Apple CEO Tim Cook sent an unequivocal letter to employees on the recent tragedy in Charlottesville, Va. "I disagree with the president and others who believe there is a moral equivalence between white supremacists and neo-Nazis, and those who oppose them by standing up for human rights," he wrote. He and other CEOs Tweeted their views as well.

Apple and CloudFlare dump neo-Nazis. CloudFlare, a popular content delivery service that protects websites from distributed denial of service attacks, ditched its longstanding policy of welcoming any and all customers by booting the neo-Nazi stronghold Daily Stormer. Apple also cut off sites selling neo-Nazi paraphernalia from using Apple Pay.

Facebook shutters anonymous chat room. The social network put an end to an internal forum called Facebook Anon, where employees could engage each other without using their real names. According to Facebook HR, the group violated the company's "authentic identity," aka real names only, policy.

Alibaba crushes earnings. The Asian e-commerce behemoth posted profits of $2.1 billion in its most recent quarter, doubling the money it made during the same period a year prior. Meanwhile, the Chinese government issued a warning to Alibaba and other sites for selling illegal, censor-skirting VPNs.

Cisco gets crushed by earnings. The networking giant's total revenue fell for the seventh straight quarter, missing Wall Street estimates. The company's shares slumped 2.5% in after hours trading as a result.

Google tests "light" search app. The search giant is testing a data-friendly version of its search app in Indonesia, where connectivity and mobile data allocations are limited. The pilot is one example of how Google is attempting to cater its products to emerging markets, where it sees the next wave of Internet consumers.

HBO can't catch a break. Suddenly in the sights of hackers, the Time Warner video unit had its Twitter account briefly taken over Wednesday night. The hijackers attempted to make "#HBOHacked" a trending topic.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Why Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins Anticipated a 'Pause', by Jonathan Vanian

ESPN's New Apple TV App Lets Viewers Stream 4 Games Simultaneously, by John Patrick Pullen

IBM CEO: This Is Why Tump's Advisory Forum Disbanded, by Valentina Zarya

Walmart's Massive Tech Investments Drive Another Quarter of Big Sales Gains, by Phil Wahba

Mark Cuban Wants His Broadcast.com Brand Back, by Barb Darrow

PayPal Cuts Off Richard Spencer Group After Charlottesville, by Katie Reilly

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

"Many companies are alienating the qualified women who want to work for them, and who they want to hire, during the interview process itself."

—Katherine Zaleski, president and cofounder of PowerToFly.com, writes in an op-ed for the New York Times that if businesses wish to boost diversity in the workplace, then they'll have to rethink their approaches to recruitment. You can read an earlier op-ed Zaleski wrote—"I'm sorry to all the mothers I worked with"—for Fortune here.

ONE MORE THING

"Prune the trolls" is Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom's mantra for dealing with hate speech on his app. In an interview with Wired's editor in chief, Systrom explains his approach to cutting the vitriol and filtering spammers. The chat is lengthy, but worthwhile given the topic's unfortunate relevance right now.

This edition of Data Sheet was curated by Robert Hackett. Find past issues, and sign up for other Fortune newsletters.
About the Authors
By Adam Lashinsky
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Robert Hackett
By Robert Hackett
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Brown University Professor Roberto Serrano, a man in a suit holding onto a gold trophy--the King Of Spain Economy Award"-- before Spain's King Felipe and a painted wall.
AIEducation
‘Humanity has chosen to become idiots’: This Brown professor switched to take-home exams after a mass shooting and discovered mass cheating
By Catherina GioinoJune 29, 2026
5 hours ago
bis
EconomyMarkets
The central bank of central banks just released its flagship annual report — and it sees a $1 trillion AI investment boom headed for a reckoning
By Nick LichtenbergJune 29, 2026
5 hours ago
paralegal
AIdisruption
The most reassuring argument about AI and jobs quietly explains why Gen Z can’t get one
By Nick LichtenbergJune 29, 2026
9 hours ago
This summer’s heat is a live stress test for data centers—here’s what it’s revealing in real time
AIData centers
This summer’s heat is a live stress test for data centers—here’s what it’s revealing in real time
By Tristan BoveJune 29, 2026
9 hours ago
Photo of Jim Farley
AIAutos
Ford on why it hired 350 ‘gray beard’ engineers: you need their mentorship for younger workers — and to drive huge AI productivity gains
By Sasha RogelbergJune 29, 2026
10 hours ago
‘Cop on your wrist’: Wearables offer tons of data, but people are still going to sleep to Netflix and TikTok
HealthBrainstorm Tech
‘Cop on your wrist’: Wearables offer tons of data, but people are still going to sleep to Netflix and TikTok
By Amanda GerutJune 29, 2026
10 hours ago

Most Popular

Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
Success
Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
By Sydney LakeJune 29, 2026
12 hours ago
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
5 days ago
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
Success
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
By Preston ForeJune 27, 2026
3 days ago
The retired college professor fighting a $313 trespassing ticket in Wisconsin thinks he's part of a national struggle
Environment
The retired college professor fighting a $313 trespassing ticket in Wisconsin thinks he's part of a national struggle
By Catherina GioinoJune 28, 2026
2 days ago
Ex-Google engineer says Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Sundar Pichai share the same trait—it's the lesson he swears by as a $7.2 billion AI CEO
Success
Ex-Google engineer says Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Sundar Pichai share the same trait—it's the lesson he swears by as a $7.2 billion AI CEO
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 28, 2026
2 days ago
Cristiano Ronaldo is soccer's first-ever billionaire: He went from begging for burgers outside McDonald's to landing a $400 million contract
Success
Cristiano Ronaldo is soccer's first-ever billionaire: He went from begging for burgers outside McDonald's to landing a $400 million contract
By Preston ForeJune 28, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.