Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer Chrysler Corporation – Highland Park, Michigan
This Kansas bred, soft spoken, shirt sleeve engineer is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Chrysler Corporation. He joined Chrysler in 1992 as Vice-Chairman and Chief Operating Officer after a 25 year career with General Motors, where he is credited with playing a significant role in the creation of the Saturn model. The son of a railroad worker and a beautician bought his first car at age 11 (a Chevy) for $10 and spent another $15 to make it run. He obtained a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Kansas in 1963. His pragmatic approach to management helped to propel his way to the top of GM’s management team, heading all European operations in 1988. Mr. Eaton is a director of the American Automobile Manufacturers Association, as well as a member of the President’s Advisory Committee on Trade Policy. He is involved as a director with Detroit Renaissance, United Way of Michigan, Detroit Symphony and is a member of the board of directors of International Paper Company. Chrysler earnings rose to $3.7 billion with sales of $52.2 billion in 1994, both far above previous records. Mr. Eaton credits the company emphasis of empowering employees and project team members with the responsibility of the assignment. As a result, every single vehicle manufactured since Mr. Eaton arrived at Chrysler has come in below it’s total investment projection and its cost-per-car target. “Even for leaders, there really is joy in being part of something larger than self. For me, that means being part of a team working together to accomplish a common goal.”
