Former president and chief operating officer of the Ford Motor Company Nick Scheele passed away on July 18th, 2014.
Born in Essex, England, Scheele served The Blue Oval for over 38 years in various roles, including president and chief operating officer. He retired from the company on February 1st, 2005, and is survived by his wife, Ros, and children Paul, Hannah, and Jim, as well as five grandchildren.
The following statement is attributable to Bill Ford, Executive Chairman of Ford Motor Company:
“Nick Scheele was an outstanding leader whose global experience and passion for our products served Ford Motor Company at a critical time. His impressive career spanned more than 38 years, including three years as our president and chief operating officer working alongside me. Not only did Nick help us overcome many challenges at the time, he mended relationships with our dealers, our suppliers and our employees, and set the stage for many of today’s leaders who are moving us forward. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family at this difficult time.”
Scheele had a particular interest in the education of young people and was involved in several community projects. He was voted a lifetime member of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and chaired the United Way for Southeastern Michigan campaign in 2003. He was also an accomplished linguist, speaking several European languages fluently.
Following is Mr. Scheele’s biography:
- Born January 3rd, 1944.
- Began career at Ford in 1966, serving in several senior purchasing appointments in Ford’s British and European Operations before moving to the U.S. in 1978.
- Became president of Ford of Mexico in 1988, where he directed Ford’s manufacturing and marketing operations.
- Assumed the role of group vice president, Ford North America, in August 2001.
- Served as chairman, Ford of Europe, from January 2000 through July 2001 and chairman and CEO of Jaguar Cars Ltd., from 1992 to 1999.
- Named president and chief operating officer, Ford Motor Company, on October 30th, 2001.
After retiring from Ford, Scheele served in several other leadership roles, including:
- Senior advisor to Crestview Partners
- Chairman of the board of Stackpole International
- Chairman of Key Safety Systems
- Chairman of Grupo Metalsa SA de CV
- Board member of British American Tobacco
- Board member of Reynolds American Inc.
Scheele also served on the advisory boards of Coventry University and Durham University, as well the Fullbright Commission. He was appointed as chancellor at the University of Warwick in 2002 and received an honorary degree from Durham University in 2003.
In June 2001, Scheele was awarded a knighthood — the Order of St. Michael and St. George — by Britain for services to British exports.
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