Automotive Executive of the Year Award
| Automotive Executive of the Year Award | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Excellence in leadership and innovation within the automotive industry |
| Venue | Detroit Athletic Club |
| Country | United States |
| First award | 1964 |
The DNV GL - Automotive Executive of the Year Award recognizes excellence in leadership and innovation within the automotive industry. Since being launched in 1964, the award has been given to top auto executives, including: Marco Mattiacci (2012), Alan Mulally (2011), Elon Musk (2010), James O'Sullivan (2009), Carroll Shelby (2008), Jim Press (2007), Bill Ford (2006), Dieter Zetsche (2003), Rick Wagoner (2001), Jac Nasser (1999), Robert Eaton (1997), Thomas Stallkamp (1996), Roger Smith (1984), Lee Iacocca (1983), Bob Lund (1980), Henry Ford II (1973) and John DeLorean (1972).
Each honoree is nominated by an Advisory Committee of automotive journalists, representatives from the supplier community and industry analysts. Automotive Executive of the Year nomination criteria include entrepreneurial and creative thinking, exemplary leadership and professional integrity. Nominations are not directly linked to company performance or individual popularity. In some cases, the Advisory Committee may elect to give a Lifetime Achievement Award, honoring cumulative innovation and leadership.
The Automotive Executive of the Year Award is presented to an annual honoree during an invitation-only luncheon held at the Detroit Athletic Club in downtown Detroit, Mich. The historic DAC has served as the event venue since 1964.
Each honoree is presented with the DNV Navigator Award, an authentic working brass nautical compass (approximately 10 x 10 inches) enclosed in a teak wood box. The compass symbolizes the significance of navigation throughout the challenges of industry leadership. In addition, honorees are presented with an original watercolor portrait created by Michigan artist, Werner Claussen.
Award ownership
The award has been owned by DNV GL since its purchase in 2006. DNV GL - Business Assurance is a global services provider for management system certification to TS 16949, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, and other national and international standards. Other services include training, hospital accreditation, food safety certification, product certification and climate change services.
Award recipients
The following partial list gives a history of recipients of the award.[1]
| Year | Recipient | Title | Organization |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Marco Mattiacci[2] | CEO | Ferarri North America |
| 2011 | Alan Mulally[3][4] | President and CEO | Ford Motor Company |
| 2010 | Elon Musk[5] | CEO and Product Architect | Tesla, Inc. |
| 2009 | Jim O' Sullivan[6] | President and CEO, North American Operations | Mazda Motor Corporation |
| 2008 | Carroll Shelby | Founder | Shelby American, Inc. |
| 2007 | Jim Press | President | Toyota Motor North America, Inc. |
| 2006 | William Clay Ford, Jr. | Chairman and CEO | Ford Motor Company |
| 2005 | Trevor Creed | Senior Vice President | Chrysler Group |
| 2004 | Gary L. Cowger | President, North America | General Motors |
| 2003 | Dieter Zetsche | President and CEO | Chrysler Group |
| 2002 | Carlos Ghosn | President and CEO | Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. |
| 2001 | Rick Wagoner | President and CEO | General Motors |
| 2000 | Tom Gale | Executive Vice President, Chrysler, Plymouth, Jeep, Dodge | DaimlerChrysler Corporation |
| 1999 | Jacques Nasser | President and CEO | Ford Motor Company |
| 1998 | Nobuhiko Kawamoto | President and CEO | Honda Motor Co., Ltd. |
| 1997 | Bob Eaton | Chairman and President | Chrysler Corporation |
| 1996 | Thomas Stallkamp | Executive Vice President, Procurement and Supply | Chrysler Corporation |
| 1995 | Bernd Pischetsrieder | Chairman of the Board | BMW AG |
| 1994 | Bob Lutz | President and CEO | Chrysler Corporation |
| 1993 | J. Ignacio Lopez | Group Vice President, Worldwide Purchasing | General Motors |
| 1992 | Carl Hahn | Chairman of the Board | Volkswagen AG |
| 1991 | John F. Smith, Jr. | Vice Chairman, International Operations | General Motors |
| 1990 | Tadashi Kume | President and CEO | Honda Motor Co., Ltd. |
| 1989 | Jack Telnack | Vice President, Design | Ford Motor Company |
| 1988 | Harold Poling | Vice Chairman and CEO | Ford Motor Company |
| 1987 | Lewis Veraldi | Vice President, Car Product Development | Ford Motor Company |
| 1986 | Kenichi Yamamoto | President | Mazda Motor Corporation |
| 1985 | Phillip Caldwell | Chairman of the Board and CEO | Ford Motor Company |
| 1984 | Roger B. Smith | Chairman of the Board and CEO | General Motors |
| 1983 | Lee Iacocca | Chairman | Chrysler Corporation |
| 1982 | Donald Petersen | President and CEO | Ford Motor Company |
| 1981 | Donald H. McPherson | Vice President and Group Executive | General Motors |
| 1980 | Robert D. Lund | General Manager, Chevrolet Division | General Motors |
| 1979 | Elliot M. Estes | President and CEO | General Motors |
| 1978 | William O. Bourke | Executive Vice President, North American Operations | Ford Motor Company |
| 1977 | Thomas Murphy | Chairman of the Board | General Motors |
| 1976 | Dick Teague | Vice President, Styling | American Motors Corporation |
| 1975 | John B. Naughton | Vice President, Sales Group, North American Operations | Ford Motor Company |
| 1974 | William V. Luneburg | President and CEO | American Motors Corporation |
| 1973 | Henry Ford II | Chairman of the Board | Ford Motor Company |
| 1972 | John DeLorean | General Manager, Chevrolet Division | General Motors |
| 1971 | Lee Iacocca | President, North American Operations | Ford Motor Company |
| 1970 | George Russell | Vice President | General Motors |
| 1969 | Semon Knudsen | President | Ford Motor Company |
| 1968 | Harry F. Barr | Vice President of Engineering | General Motors |
| 1967 | James Roche | President | General Motors |
| 1967 | Harry E. Chesebrough | Vice President, Product Planning and Development | Chrysler Corporation |
| 1967 | John Bugas | Vice President and Consultant | Ford Motor Company |
| 1966 | George H. Love | Chairman of the Board | Chrysler Corporation |
| 1966 | Lynn A. Townsend | President | Chrysler Corporation |
| 1966 | Virgil Boyd | Group Vice President | Chrysler Corporation |
| 1965 | Ed Cole | Vice President and Group Executive | General Motors |
| 1964 | Charles H. Patterson | Executive Vice President | Ford Motor Company |
See also
References
- ^ Djurovic, Robert. "A History of Titans - Automotive Executive of the Year Recipients" (PDF) (Press release). Auburn Hills, Michigan: Automotive Executive of the Year Award. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 30, 2008. Retrieved March 7, 2026.
- ^ "Ferrari innovator wins executive of year award". Automotive News. Vol. 86, no. 6506. Detroit, Michigan: Crain Communications. March 5, 2012. p. 41 – via EBSCOhost.
- ^ "Alan R. Mulally" (PDF). American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. 2014. Retrieved March 7, 2026.
- ^ "BYU Management Society Presents: Alan Mulally, Former CEO of Boeing and Ford Motor Company". BYU Management Society. Brigham Young University. April 25, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2026.
- ^ Wert, Ray (April 14, 2011). "The Morning Shift: Thursday, April 14th, 2011". Jalopnik. Fishers, Indiana: Static Media. Retrieved March 7, 2026.
- ^ "Mazda President and CEO Jim O'Sullivan named 2009 Automotive Executive of the Year". Skip Barber Racing School. May 20, 2009. Retrieved March 7, 2026.
The Detroit Free Press, February 17, 2008, 2E