Alex J. Trotman, former chairman and chief executive officer of Ford Motor Company, passed away yesterday after a brief illness. He was 71 years old. Trotman worked for Ford for 43 years serving in a variety of positions throughout Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. He held the top post from November 1993 until his retirement in December 1998.

Ford's current chairman and chief executive officer, William Clay Ford, Jr. commented: “Alex was a great friend, colleague and leader of the extended family of Ford employees around the world. He was the driving force behind a vast array of visionary changes in Ford Motor Company's global management and innovative products. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.”

Prior to 1st November, 1993, Trotman served as president and chief operating officer - Ford Automotive Group.

He joined the company as a Ford of Britain student trainee in the purchasing department in 1955, following service as a flying officer-navigator in the Royal Air Force. After a number of supervisory and managerial positions in Ford of Britain, he was named director of Ford of Europe's Car Product Planning Office in 1967.

Trotman moved to the United States in 1969 on special assignment to Ford's Advanced Car Product Planning Operations in Dearborn, Michigan. A year later, he was named manager of Lincoln-Mercury Division's Product Planning department. He then was appointed director of the Marketing Staff Sales Planning Office. He became executive director of product planning for Product Planning and Research in 1972.

Trotman was appointed chief car planning manager for the Car Product Development Group in 1975, executive director of operations planning in 1977 and assistant general manager of Truck and Recreational Product Operations in 1978. He was elected a Ford vice president and named vice president of Truck Operations for Ford of Europe in November 1979.

He became president of Ford Asia-Pacific Inc. in July 1983 and was appointed president of Ford of Europe in October 1984. He was named chairman of Ford of Europe in March 1988, and returned to the United States as executive vice president - Operations for North American Automotive Operations in February 1989.

In May 1989, he became executive vice president - North American Automotive Operations and was named president, Ford Automotive Group, and elected to the Board of Directors on 1st January, 1993.

He also served as a member of the Board of Directors for IBM, the New York Stock Exchange and ICI (Imperial Chemical Industries PLC of the U.K.). He was also a member of various other organizations, including the Chase International Advisory Committee and The Business Council.

In 1996, he was knighted by the Queen, and he was created a Life Peer in 1999.

Trotman was born 22nd July, 1933, in Middlesex, England. He was educated at Boroughmuir School in Edinburgh, Scotland, and gained a master's degree in business administration from Michigan State University.