Ford’s CEO Alan Mulally is set to step down from the lead role July 1, but he won’t be straying far from the U.S.’s second-largest automaker, the chief executive said Tuesday.
Mulally will continue to advise Mark Fields, who is taking over as CEO of the automaker, and will stay in touch with Ford (F) after he leaves his role.
“I’m going to stay close to Ford going forward,” Mulally said on Bloomberg Television. “Mark would like to call me and I said, “Absolutely, any time.'”
The 8-year CEO of Ford, who engineered the carmaker’s turnaround and helped avoid the bankruptcies and bailouts that dogged other major U.S. Car companies, has not said what he will do after he leaves the company. Mulally will depart the top role six months earlier than planned to make way for Fields, the current chief operating officer.
Mulally may be considering a spot on the board of directors, people with knowledge of the matter told Bloomberg News. While he will not say whether he is weighing that option or other opportunities, Mulally said he’s concerned about larger societal issues today.
Until July 2nd, though, Mulally plans to keep his head in the game at Ford and his lips sealed on his next move.