ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ellen Hughes-Cromwick, the former chief economist of Ford Motor Co., has joined the faculty of the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business. She retired from her position at Ford on Oct. 1 after an 18-year career with the company. Hughes-Cromwick will teach graduate-level courses in economics, and will also contribute to the school's research initiatives.
"I am delighted that Ellen is joining the Ross School faculty," said Wallace Hopp, senior associate dean for faculty and research at the Ross School. "With her extensive industry experience and deep understanding of global economics, she will be able to help our students understand what it takes to compete in today's economy.”
Hughes-Cromwick began her 18-year career at Ford as a senior economist in 1996, and went on to serve as corporate economics manager in 1999, director in 2002, and director and chief economist in 2004. She advised Ford's senior management team on global economic, financial, and strategic issues, and helped to successfully steer the company through the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
“I had the pleasure of working with Ellen throughout her career at Ford, and could not be more happy for her to take this next step with the University of Michigan,” said Bob Shanks, chief financial officer of Ford Motor Co. “Her comprehensive knowledge of the global economic environment and her ability to translate that knowledge into an expected impact on our business led to many important business decisions at Ford. Her legacy in economics will continue through this new role, and the students at the Ross School are lucky to have her.”
During the next phase of her career, Hughes-Cromwick will focus her teaching, research, speaking, and media commentary on such issues as the global economy, fiscal and monetary policy developments, and long-run challenges and opportunities which could affect the pace of economic growth and inflation.
Hughes-Cromwick is on the board of directors of the National Bureau of Economic Research, and served for one term as president of the National Association for Business Economics (NABE) in 2007-2008. On January 3, 2015, she will participate in a NABE-hosted panel discussion on the outlook for the US and global economy with former Secretary of the US Treasury Larry Summers, former Council of Economic Advisers Chair Glenn Hubbard, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco President John C. Williams, and NABE President John Silvia, chief economist of Wells Fargo Securities, at the annual convention of the Allied Social Science Associations in Boston, MA.
