Textron Elects Joe T. Ford to Board
16 December 1998
Textron Elects Joe T. Ford to Board; ALLTEL Chairman and CEO Adds Technology Experience
PROVIDENCE, R.I.--Dec. 16, 1998--Textron Inc. announced today that Joe T. Ford has been elected to the company's fifteen-member Board of Directors. Ford is chairman and CEO of ALLTEL Corporation, a $5 billion communications and information technology company based in Little Rock, Arkansas. Ford's position on the Board is effective immediately.
"Joe will bring a valuable perspective to our business through his superior knowledge of the technology industry, his expertise in identifying and integrating acquisitions, and his strong orientation toward customer service," said Textron Chief Executive Officer Lewis Campbell, who will assume the additional role of chairman of Textron's Board upon the retirement of James F. Hardymon on January 31, 1999.
Ford, 61, has held the position of CEO of ALLTEL Corporation since 1987 and added the title of chairman in 1991. He began his career in telecommunications at Allied Telephone Company in Little Rock and served in a number of executive positions before becoming president of Allied in 1977. When Allied merged with Mid-Continent Telephone Corporation in 1983 to form ALLTEL Corporation, Ford was named president.
"Through his work with multi-industry companies, both domestic and international, Joe will be a valuable resource as we execute our global strategies for consistent growth," continued Campbell.
Ford currently serves on the Boards of Directors of ALLTEL Corporation and The Dial Corporation. Ford, who holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Arkansas, has also been active in government and civic affairs. From 1967 until 1982, he was a member of the Arkansas senate. In 1987, he received the citation for distinguished alumni from the University of Arkansas.
Textron Inc. is a $10 billion, global, multi-industry company with market-leading operations in Aircraft, Automotive, Industrial and Finance.