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 After earning his master’s
degree in Business Administration from Stanford University, Donald E. Petersen
began a lifelong career with Ford Motor Company in 1949. There he was offered
ever-increasing levels of responsibility in recognition of his high standards
of performance. In 1977, he was made a director, and in 1980 he accepted the
dual position of President and Chief Operation Officer. Five years later,
Petersen was designated Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, and
he remained at the helm until his retirement in 1990.
Petersen’s record of achievements and service extend beyond the corporate
world. He served in the U.S. Marine Corp in both World War II and the Korean
War, and subsequently was honored with the ‘Semper Fidelis’ Award from the
Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation. In 1981, he received the Distinguished
Alumnus Award from the University of Washington, where he completed his
undergraduate work. His alma mater, Stanford University, presented him with the
Business School Alumni Association’s Arbuckle Award in 1985, in recognition of
his outstanding achievements in business management.
Along with other prestigious awards from academia and industry groups, Petersen
was presented the American Achievement Award in 1986 by Brookgreen Gardens,
South Carolina, for “significant contributions to the United States through
achievement in the areas of industry, business, science, and the arts.” He also
has been bestowed with honorary doctorate degrees in Science (University of
Detroit); in Human Letters (Art Center College of Design, Pasadena,
California); in Engineering (Michigan Technological University); in Law
(Millsaps College, Jackson, Mississippi); and in Business Administration
(Providence College).
Petersen’s leadership and expertise has enhanced the stature of several
corporate and advisory boards, including the advisory boards of the Juran
Center for Leadership in Quality at the University of Minnesota, and the
College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington.
Currently, Petersen and his wife reside in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
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