Lee Iacocc An American Business Leader - 1540 Words

Abstract Lee Iacocca is a businessman in the American automobile industry. He progressed up the ranks at Ford Motor Company to ultimately become its president in 1970. He is credited with such automotive hits as the Mustang and the Lincoln Mark III. He was fired by Henry Ford in 1978 due to personal differences. Chrysler Corporation was in a state of near bankruptcy in 1979 and called upon the leadership and expertise of Lee Iacocca to help save the company. Through his toughness and perseverance, he saves the Chrysler Corporation and in the process, millions of American jobs. Brian Watkins Alyssa Foskey MGMT 1115 March 29, 2015 Iacocca: An American Business Leader Lee Iacocca was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on October 15, 1924. His parents immigrated to America from Italy in the early 1900’s in search of the American dream. Lee’s father was a businessman with interests in restaurants, theaters, and a car rental agency. The car rental business is what sparked Lee’s interest in the automobile business. Lee did well in high school and was elected president of his class in the ninth grade. After the election, he failed to stay in touch with his constituency and lost the election in the second semester. He had forgotten the importance of shaking hands and being friendly. It was one of his first lessons on leadership. Lee graduated twelfth in his high school class of over nine hundred and set his sights on pursuing engineering in college. Lee applied, and was