Alumnus Profile: James D. Farley, Jr. ’81

Mornings start early at the Pope Francis Center in Detroit, and the pace never slows.

The center, which has served the city’s homeless community for more than 30 years, provides essentials like meals, showers and shelter seven days a week. This weekend, Jim Farley is assisting behind the counter, quickly and efficiently handing out essentials – warm socks, hot coffee and a quick smile. “The smallest considerations can mean a lot in times of need,” he said. “Sometimes, it’s the simplest things that make a difference.”

Farley will stay for the morning shift, working the breakfast line, scrubbing the stove, talking with the regulars. His enthusiasm never fails to impress the center’s executive director, Father Tim McCabe.

“Jim is truly the salt of the earth,” McCabe says with a laugh. “He’s so grounded – he knows who he is, and he’s comfortable in his own skin. He’s as comfortable talking with the homeless as he is in the executive boardroom, and that’s amazing. When he comes down to the center – and he comes as often as he can – he always takes the attention off himself and puts it on others. He’s just Jim.”

Away from the center, Jim Farley, Portsmouth Abbey ’81, is very much in the spotlight. In fact, in October 2020, that light shone even brighter after he was named CEO and President of Ford Motor Company, the iconic automaker that’s synonymous with Detroit.

It’s a company that’s been part of the Farley family for years; Jim’s grandfather, Emmet Tracy, was a longtime Ford employee, one of the first to help build the Model T. It was Tracy who nurtured Farley’s love of cars when they spent time together at the family’s summer home in Northern Michigan.

“When my grandfather was hired for a manufacturing job in 1913, it changed my family’s life,” Farley said. “He was proud of his work, of his company. When I’d visit him during the summer and on school breaks, we’d drive past the Rouge and Piquette plants and he’d tell me their history and about the vehicles they produced.

“At night, there were no bedtime stories. Instead, we flipped through pages of Automotive News - and I was enthralled. Cars, to me, have always been works of art.”

SUMMERS IN MICHIGAN

While Farley spent his early years in Argentina and on the East Coast of the U.S., it was those summers on Lake Michigan that truly made a lasting impression. Fun and ingenuity were constant companions.

“We’ve been buddies since we were in grade school, and we’d spend the days in the summer just riding our bikes and making up games,” recalled his longtime friend, former IndyCar racer and Detroit native Robbie Buhl. “We didn’t have much down time.”

The two were rarely bored, he recalled. “We would spend hours – seriously, hours – putting together these little gas-powered, remote-control boats that we’d run in the harbor. We spent way more time figuring out how to put them together than running them. But they’d run – they’d run like hell. Then they’d crash, and they’d break, and we’d figure out how to put them together again.” His childhood friend was a great athlete – and competitive even then, Buhl said.

“Oh, sure, he was really competitive – but we all were,” he said. “There was a whole group of us, and we’d make up competitions all day along.”

LESSONS FROM PORTSMOUTH ABBEY

During the school year, Farley lived with his family in Greenwich, CT, and the bright teen-ager found that good grades came easily – maybe a little too easily. Enter Portsmouth Abbey.

“My parents wanted me to go to Portsmouth because of its rigorous academic curriculum,” Farley recalled. “At the time, I wasn’t having to work that hard to get good grades.” That soon changed, he recalled with a laugh.

“At Portsmouth, we were busy – so busy. I started to learn what hard work really was. I learned about discipline and how to manage a schedule. We would have two hours of homework every night, and we went to school six days a week. I worked really hard. I took Latin, Hebrew, Greek. In my first-year English class, we read Russian literature. And then there was the algebra!”

His teachers demanded perfection – and many times, they got it.

“I had so many teachers who were the absolute best teachers, and they just weren’t satisfied unless you were absolutely perfect,” Farley said “Abbot Caedmon Holmes was the only person I ever met who spoke Latin – he spoke and read and wrote Hebrew and Greek. We read all the Greek tragedies

Jim on vacation with his family

Emmet Tracy’s Ford Motor Company employee pass from March 1918. Mr. Tracy, one of Ford’s earliest employees, was a factory worker while the Model T was being built. Jim visiting his grandfather Emmet Tracy, while on Christmas break from UCLA, circa 1989. Mr Tracy, who lived in Grosse Pointe, was an early employee of Ford Motor Company.

in Latin, and we read the Old Testament in Hebrew. Abbot Holmes was a very talented, studious, introspective man – and he simply was not satisfied unless you could conjugate a verb perfectly.”

He also fondly remembers his economics teacher, Cliff Hobbins. “He was so terrific about markets and capitalism,” he said. “Having that knowledge made me feel so comfortable going into the business world.”

Farley soon found himself enamored of learning – about everything around him, not just assigned schoolwork. He became an expert at time management, finding a few extra hours to go off campus during the week and attend free lectures at the U.S. Naval War College in nearby Newport, Rhode Island.

“I heard a talk by Edward Teller, the father of the hydrogen bomb, the most destructive force on the planet,” Farley said. “I remember that lecture as if it was yesterday. He talked about the incredible personal guilt he felt from inventing this device that could kill humanity, and what it felt like knowing you had that responsibility.”

Farley eventually found time to get a part-time position as a draftsman with Raytheon Technologies in Portsmouth, which manufactures sonar and detection systems for the Navy.

He also learned more than a few life hacks that would come in handy, he noted. “As a freshman, you would serve the cafeteria meals a few nights a week - and you’d wear a coat and tie,” he said. “You wouldn’t have much time to get ready. I can probably put on a coat and tie in less than three minutes.”

His competitive drive was honed at Portsmouth. “There’s no use doing something unless you’re going to try your hardest and be your absolute best,” he said. “I really fine-tuned my commitment to excellence there.”

Jim with his wife, Lia, and their children

Jim with his cousin Emmet E. “Tripp” Tracy III, a retired American professional ice hockey goaltender and radio and TV color commentator for the Carolina Hurricanes

A STEADYING SPIRITUALITY

And perhaps even more importantly, Farley said, he found a steadying spirituality that has stayed with him throughout his life.

“I would go to Vespers, where the monks sing, and it was absolutely beautiful,” he recalled. “I found it very moving. I’d actually go to church quite a bit, all alone, and feel very comfortable there.”

Even in difficult times, he said, his faith has stayed strong.

“I’ve had challenging times, both personally and professionally, and I’ve always had that personal spirituality to pull me through. One of the monks told me that being religious doesn’t mean going to church all the time – what’s more important is in your heart. That is something that has really stayed with me, and really impacted me throughout my life.”

Jim discusses the company’s customer-focused strategic ambitions and actions at a Ford event for financial analysts and stakeholders.

Left: Ford’s priorities include leadership in electric vehicles and connected services.

After Portsmouth, Farley received a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University, then earned his MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles, where he met his wife, Lia. The couple now have three children.

Farley started his career working at IBM for several years before accepting a job in 1990 to work in Toyota’s fledgling Lexus division. He’d spend more than 20 years at the company, honing his observation skills by adopting Toyota’s philosophy of genchi genbutsu, which is broadly translated as “go and see for yourself.”

While he moved up the ranks, he balanced work and life issues that would test his faith and personal convictions, including the death of twins born prematurely and a fatal overdose that would end the life of his famous cousin, comedian Chris Farley.

Bill Ford, Idris Elba, Jim Farley and team gather at the launch of the Mach-E.

“I don’t ever take things for granted,” he notes. “And I think you learn from your struggles. The most valuable time for me is when I’m struggling. It’s a truism in work and it’s a truism in life. Comfort does not equal progress.”

In 2007, Farley was recruited by Ford, taking a circuitous road to the top after serving stints that included president of global markets, where he was responsible for overseeing Ford’s business units in The Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific.

He then served as executive vice-president and president for Ford Europe, Middle East and Africa. In that role, he led Ford’s business transformation in Europe, executing a plan to achieve profitable growth through an unprecedented focus on new products, a strong brand and increased cost efficiency. In 2016, he led Ford’s European operations to record profitability, record margins and increased sales.

Leading Ford’s strategic transformation into a highergrowth, higher-margin business by leveraging smart, connected vehicles and breakthrough customer experiences, Farley then served as president of New Businesses, Technology and Strategy.

He was appointed president and CEO of the historic company in October of 2020 – just as the company was pivoting from creating mobility solutions for the future to quickly and efficiently manufacturing Personal Protec-

tive Equipment for a country caught in a COVID-19 crisis.

“I feel like I’ve been preparing for this job my whole life,” he said. “I’m so honored and excited to be doing what I do. I love coming to work every day.”

AWAY FROM WORK – AND ON THE TRACK

Of course, Farley doesn’t work constantly. On rare time off away from work and family, he’ll chill at the racetrack, finding relaxation at speeds exceeding 200 mph. He’s raced his vintage Ford GT40 at Le Mans in France, and his garage also includes a Cobra and a Lola 298.

“Racing encompasses all the key facets of other sports – teamwork, strategy and split-second timing,” he said. “It can be heartbreaking and thrilling, all at the same time. When I’m racing, I’m absolutely focused. The sounds, the smells, the feeling of living in the moment – it’s all therapeutic for me. It’s my yoga. I feel privileged to participate, the adrenaline rush is immense, and the absolute and complete focus it takes to drive is the ultimate stress-reliever.”

Long-time friend Robbie Buhl isn’t surprised Farley loves to race; it was the level of dedication that caught him by surprise.

“Racing is an art – it’s not just about driving. It’s about studying the dynamics of the car and finding how you can get the most from it,” he said. “There are so many aspects to this sport that are incredibly interesting, so it didn’t surprise me that he got into it. What surprised me was his passion. This isn’t just, ‘Oh, I like to drive, and I enjoy racing.’ He’s at another level altogether – just consumed by it. And of course, racing is what I love so it’s been really fun for me to see how bitten by the racing bug he’s become.”

Jim with automotive legend Carroll Shelby in Monterey, California.

Jim at Le Mans

Jim speaks at the ‘Built for America’ event at the new Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, MI, where the all-electric F-150 Lightning will be produced.

LONG DAYS, BIG DECISIONS, BRIGHT FUTURE

Most days, though, Farley spends immense amounts of time on the phone, in meetings, studying charts, models and market conditions, and making deals and decisions that can impact thousands who rely on and do business with Ford Motor Company.

“He feels the weight of every decision, knows the impact of his words and his position,” says friend Father Tim McCabe, executive director of Pope Francis Center.

“Sometimes, when people rise to executive positions, they don’t connect with people who work with the company. You have wealth and privilege, and it disconnects you. But Jim is fully cognizant and truly feels the impact of his work. There’s no barrier. There is nothing cold about him. I know that’s true because I’ve had those conversations with him,” McCabe said. “He leads from the head, yes, but he leads from the heart.”

And Farley has advice for those just starting their high school journey, perhaps on the campus of Portsmouth Abbey.

“Success comes from failure, and awkwardness equals growth,” he said. “If you’re feeling awkward, you’re growing. And if you’re making mistakes – and you’re learning from them – you’ll be very successful in the future. At Portsmouth, I struggled, and I grew more there than probably anywhere else. So, don’t be afraid to try the harder thing. It’s worth it.”

– Diane Majeske