Ford CEO Joins IBM Board

He is leading Ford into a car that is not just a vehicle but will increasingly become the future of mobile technology platforms. ”

Ford is exploring the development of mobile businesses other than car sales and may launch plans through mergers and acquisitions and cooperation.

Both the company and other carmakers are increasingly focusing on driverless cars and their potential disruptive impact on future car ownership. These companies are facing threats from new competitors in Silicon Valley. Ford is considering meeting future travel needs by providing alternatives such as car sharing services.

Ford spokesperson Mike Moran said: "IBM is a multinational company with a rich history of innovation and subversion of the original business model. This is highly complementary to what Ford is doing. Fields will give it to IBM. Bringing unique insights, his experience and the new relationship established after joining the IBM board will also bring benefits to Ford."

Before graduating from Rutgers University and attending Harvard Business School, Fields worked briefly for IBM's sales and marketing department.

He told Reuters earlier this month that Ford is exploring a number of different options to strengthen car sharing services, driverless technology, and on-board services designed to stay in touch with customers.

The company has repeatedly declined to comment on Ford’s report seeking to develop a driverless car in cooperation with Google. Reuters reported in December last year that the two parties had negotiated and in the same month Fields met with Google co-founder Sergey Brin to discuss the status of the negotiations.

Ford is seeking to develop its own driverless car technology. Earlier this month, it said that the number of test vehicles for driverless cars will triple to 30.

Ford Former CEO Alan Mulally has served as a director of Google since 2014. IBM also announced that two longtime board members, Alain J. P. Belda and William R. Brody, will step down.