Mark Fields to Deliver Keynote at 2014 Washington Auto Show

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2, 2013  /PRNewswire/ -- The Washington Auto Show®, the automotive industry's annual public policy show and the largest public show held in Washington, D.C., is pleased to announce that Mark Fields, chief operating officer of Ford Motor Company, will deliver the keynote address at the Newsmaker Breakfast on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131202/NY25106)

As COO, Fields is responsible for leading Ford's business operations globally. He has been a driver at Ford for serving customers around the globe with a full family of vehicles that deliver the highest quality, fuel efficiency, safety, smart design and value.

The Newsmaker Breakfast – co-sponsored by Washington Automotive Press Association (WAPA) and the International Motor Press Association (IMPA) – is part of the show's Public Policy Days. The breakfast follows the Policy Days' kickoff event on Capitol Hill.

"We are proud to showcase our innovative products and technologies at The Washington Auto Show," said Fields. "The show provides an ideal opportunity to explore current and future trends in the automotive industry, including improvements in vehicle design and manufacturing to better serve customers and drive profitable growth."

Fields led Ford's successful recovery in the Americas after holding senior leadership positions in Europe and Asia. As executive vice president and president of Ford's Americas business unit, he led the development, manufacturing, marketing and sales of Ford and Lincoln vehicles in the United States, Canada, Mexico and South America. He is credited with the transformation of the company's North American operations and its record profitability.

Fields was named a Global Leader of Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum in 2000 and CNBC's Asian Business Leader – Innovator of the Year for 2001. He holds an Economics degree from Rutgers University (USA) and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Graduate School of Business.

"This show is dedicated to highlighting the technologies that are shaping our industry's future and the companies that are leading the way," says Washington Auto Show Chairman Kevin Reilly. "Ford, with its award-winning vehicles and advances in fuel economy, safety and driver-assist technologies, is a great example of the automotive industry's commitment to innovation, sustainability and affordable mobility solutions."

The Newsmaker Breakfast is sponsored by WAPA and IMPA. WAPA is the professional association dedicated to improving communication between automotive journalists in the Baltimore-Washington area and the automotive industry, regulators and other related groups. Based in New York, IMPA is the country's oldest organization of automotive journalists and public relations professionals of the world's major automotive manufacturers and suppliers.

The Newsmaker Breakfast marks the beginning of the second Public Policy Day, which features a full day of press events and announcements, highlighted by government and industry keynotes from policy and automotive industry leaders. The SAE International Plenary Session will be held at 3 p.m. Guests will also enjoy the evening's Sneak Peek Reception at 5 p.m., attended by thousands of policy officials, members of the U.S. Congress, Embassy officials, manufacturers and media. The event's guest list represents the who's who of the industry, providing an unrivaled networking opportunity for those who will be driving the auto industry in the coming years.

The Washington Auto Show® will be open to the public from Jan. 23 to Feb. 2. The 2014 public show will run for 11 days as opposed to 10 days in previous years. The show is open from 12 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Monday through Thursday, from 12 p.m. until 10 p.m. on Fridays, from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. on Saturdays, from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 26, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 2.

For more information about The Washington Auto Show, please visit www.washingtonautoshow.com.

Follow us on Twitter @WashAutoShow, #WAS14, and Facebook, www.facebook.com/WashAutoShow. 

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 180,000 employees and 65 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit corporate.ford.com.

About The Washington Auto Show®

The "Public Policy Days" of The Washington Auto Show kick off Jan. 21, 2013, with two days of powerful and purposeful dialogue between industry leaders and public policy makers on issues impacting the automotive industry. The National Journal Policy Summit on Capitol Hill is held in the Cannon House Caucus Room, followed by press conferences and special events on Jan. 22 at The Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The Show opens to the public Jan. 23 to Feb. 2, and will provide more than 750,000 square feet of autos, advanced technology and experiential events throughout all levels, exhibition halls and meeting rooms of the Convention Center, in which more than 43 domestic and import manufacturers present more than 700 vehicles.

SOURCE The Washington Auto Show